North Dakota Energy Industry Surges Amid Summer Drilling Boom

The Department of Mineral Resources' Director's Cut briefing revealed a positive outlook for North Dakota's oil and gas industry. State energy officials reported strong June production gains, record-setting natural gas figures, and a surge in summer drilling activity across the Bakken.

McKenzie County continued to lead the state's energy sector, accounting for nearly a third of total crude production and nearly half of natural gas output. The county hosted 5,859 active producing wells, representing 29 percent of the state's 19,961 wells. McKenzie produced 11,405,116 barrels of oil in June, or 33 percent of North Dakota's statewide total of 34,583,871 barrels.

Statewide crude oil production reached 34,583,871 barrels in June, averaging 1.153 million barrels per day. This represents a 2.45 percent increase over May's output and puts state crude oil output roughly 0.24 percent above state revenue projections. North Dakota continues to hold its position as the nation's third-leading crude oil producer.