North Dakota – update through February 2022

Oil production in North Dakota from horizontal wells rose by less than 1% m-o-m in February, to 1.05 million b/d. Natural gas output increased by 2% to 2.8 Bcf/d. Only 63 new horizontal wells came online in the first 2 months of this year, compared with 180 in 2020 and 68 in 2021 during the same period.

North Dakota – update through January 2022

Oil production in North Dakota from horizontal wells fell by 5% m-o-m, to 1.04 million b/d in January. Natural gas output dropped by the 7% to below 2.8 Bcf/d.

North Dakota – update through December 2021

Oil production in North Dakota from horizontal wells fell by 2% m-o-m (and 6% y-o-y), to 1.09 million b/d in December. Natural gas output dropped by the same percentage to just below 3.0 Bcf/d.

North Dakota – update through November 2021

Oil production in North Dakota from horizontal wells rose by 2% m-o-m, to 1.09 million b/d in November. Natural gas output increased as well and came in at 3.0 Bcf/d in November.

North Dakota – update through October 2021

Oil production in North Dakota from horizontal wells was flat m-o-m for the 2nd month in a row, at 1.07 million b/d in October. Natural gas output, at 2.9 Bcf/d, was close to the historical high in November 2019 (3.1 Bcf/d). Only 492 new horizontal wells were completed through October, the lowest number since 2009.

North Dakota – update through September 2021

Oil production in North Dakota from horizontal wells was flat m-o-m, at 1.07 million b/d in September. Output fell by 120 thousand b/d in the 12-month period through September, or 10%. But drilling activity has picked up, and we estimate that with the 23 rigs that are drilling horizontal wells in the state (according to Baker Hughes), current output can be maintained for a while.

North Dakota – update through August 2021

Oil production in North Dakota from horizontal wells increased by 2% to 1.06 million b/d in August. Only 366 horizontal wells came online this year through August, the lowest number in a decade.

North Dakota – update through July 2021

Oil production in North Dakota from horizontal wells fell m-o-m by 50 thousand bo/d in July (5%). Although 46 wells began producing in July, the same number as in June, their average initial performance was poorer than usual, which explains about half of the decline. Natural gas production fell as well, to 2.8 Bcf/d.

North Dakota – update through June 2021

Oil production in North Dakota from horizontal wells came in at 1.09 million bo/d in June, unchanged from the month before. Natural gas production was also steady at 2.9 Bcf/d. In the first half of this year, 271 horizontal wells were completed, versus 396 in 2020 (and 575 in 2019).

North Dakota – update through May 2021

Oil production in North Dakota from horizontal wells rose by less than 1% in May, m-o-m, to 1.09 million bo/d. Natural gas production increased to 2.94 Bcf/d. Only 44 wells were completed in May, but the inactive well count fell by over 100 to just below 1,500.