BISMARCK – North Dakota’s oil and natural gas production increased in March, according to the Director’s Cut presented Friday, May 22, by Mark Bohrer, assistant director of the North Dakota Oil and Gas Division.

Bohrer said the state produced 1.142 million barrels of oil a day in March, an increase of 0.81% from February, for a total production of 35.4 million barrels of oil in March.

He said the majority of the oil production (97.3%) is from the Bakken/Three Forks formations.

The state also produced 3.4 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas or 107.6 BCF in March, an increase of 2.24% from February.

Production numbers normally are about two months behind.

Bohrer said the majority of the state’s oil production, 31.8%, comes from McKenzie County. He said the top five producing counties account for more than 96% of North Dakota’s oil production. Besides McKenzie County, the other top producing counties are Williams, Dunn, Mountrail and Divide.

North Dakota is third in the nation for crude oil production, with Texas, first, and New Mexico, second. Other states producing oil following North Dakota in rank are Colorado, Oklahoma, Alaska, California, Wyoming, Utah and Louisiana.

Currently, 26 rigs are actively working in North Dakota. The all-time high was 218 rigs working in the state on May 29, 2018. A total of 28 rigs are working in the Williston Basin, an area including North Dakota and eastern Montana. The rig count in the Permian Basin, an oil and gas producing area in West Texas and southeastern New Mexico, remained at 242.

Currently, 13 frac crews are working in North Dakota.

According to the report, well permits increased from 60 in February and March to 83 in April while wells completed declined from 60 in Febuary, 55 in March to 49 in April.

The total number of producing wells in North Dakota reached at an all-time high of 19,639 in March, Bohrer said.

He said Fort Berthold Reservation produced 149,876 barrels of oil in March, a 21.7% increase from February. No rigs were reported currently working on the reservation. The reservation has 3,024 active wells and one well is waiting on completion. There are 143 wells permitted on Fort Berthold.

Statewide gas capture increased to 96.3% while Bakken gas capture increased to 96.6%.