Posted on 10/28/2009 3:48:41 PM PDT by saganite
BISMARCK, N.D. — North Dakota has surpassed Louisiana as the fourth-largest oil-producing state in the nation, the U.S. Energy Department says.
The agency's Energy Information Administration said North Dakota produced 6.38 million barrels of crude in May, edging Louisiana, which had 6.34 million barrels for the month. Oklahoma was ranked fifth, at 5.7 million barrels for that month, according to the most recent figures. Oil production data typically lags at least two months.
Steven G. Grape, an Energy Department petroleum engineer, said Wednesday that North Dakota averaged 206,000 barrels daily in May, compared with 205,000 barrels for Louisiana.
North Dakota's oil production, pegged at 2.8 million barrels for May 2005, has risen sharply since then with improved horizontal drilling technology in the rich Bakken shale and Three Forks-Sanish formations in the western part of the state.
"In the Bakken and the Three Forks, they're having great success poking new holes," Grape said. "If you look at the increase, it doesn't look like it's letting up."
Energy Information Administration figures show Louisiana's oil production has slipped from 7.4 million barrels in May 2005. Grape said natural gas has overshadowed oil as a priority for drillers in Louisiana.
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ping
this is one of the best kept secrets in America today. Rsults since mid-year are even more encouraging.
That whole area is loaded with oil. New procedures and finds are now viable to the north in Saskatchewan.
Those new procedures are being adapted for drilling gas fields in the US and overseas. The leap in technology from drilling this oil isn’t limited to the Bakken. Whole new areas worldwide will be explored and exploited with the technology.
Until “Cap and Extortion” passes that is.
Shale oil requires heat to extract and it sounds like they are just sucking this oil out of the ground.
This is a state with two Democratic Senators. Wonder what the odds are for them supporting Cap & Trade?
More than Louisiana? Neat.
bump
“Dagny, they’re trying to kill North Dakota!”
I would love to know how a state like North Dakota ends up voting for two democrat senators.
Hmmm. How about them oil jobs? North Dakota’s unemployement rate is 4.2%. And the Democrats are trying like crazy to prohibit other states from drilling.
http://www.bls.gov/web/lauhsthl.htm
Is this the “fire in the hole” technology I’ve been reading about?
bump
“Peak Oil” is just as much of chimera as “Global warming”. Both are far more about command and control, big and Bigger government, and less liberty for the little people.
Because we have so many different hydrocarbons, from coal, crops, algae, and even sewage sludge, that can be converted to usable fuels, the only issue we have is the price of fuel at the pump.
With conversion technology, not only is oil fungible, but now hydrocarbons are too.
Elm Coulee MT and the Parsol ND areas have been the hot spots. How productive the average quarter section will turn out to be is the key to determining the real potential of the Bakken as the formation underlies a vast area.
“Oil shale” in contrast is kerogen, an immature pre oil waxy compound that does not flow.
Smokin’ Joe is the resident expert on the Bakken. He works there.
Hope that helped.
Peak oil! Peak oil! Peak oil! Peak oil! Peak oil!
Repeat over and over until convincing. /sarc
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