Eloise Ogden/MDN Oil production in North Dakota has declined but the state continues to maintain producing more than a million barrels of oil a day, according to the North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources.

BISMARCK – North Dakota oil production numbers fell again in February, according to a new report from the North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources released on Thursday.

In February, the most recent numbers available, the state produced 1.083 million barrels of oil a day. In January, the state produced 1.147 million barrels of oil a day.

The number of oil produced has been declining in past months yet, the state continues to produce more than a million barrels of oil a day.

On Thursday, the price of crude oil was $56.75 for North Dakota light sweet and $63.15 for West Texas Intermediate.

The state’s natural gas production in February was 75,710,555 MCF or 2,703,948 MCF a day. The gas capture percentage was 92%.

Seventeen rigs were actively working in the oil field on Thursday. In January, 12 rigs were actively working, and in February and March, 15 rigs each month.

The state had 15,773 (preliminary) producing wells in February and 662 wells were waiting on completion, according to the report.

Fort Berthold Reservation produced 271,532 barrels of oil in February. Three rigs were drilling on the reservation and 2,532 wells were active.

Lynn Helms, director of the Mineral Resources Department, said the drilling rig count fell 78% from January 2020 to February 2021.

At their April meeting, he said OPEC+ reached a general consensus to maintain $50-$60 West Texas Intermediate by raising output 350,000 barrels per day in May, another 350,000 barrels a day in June and then 440,000 barrels per day in July.

He said drilling permit activity is slowly increasing but remains volatile due to oil price uncertainty. Operators continue to maintain a permit inventory of about 12 months.