North Dakota
October wildfires impact ND oil production
MDN File Photo
North Dakota’s oil production had a recent decline largely due to the wildfires in October.
BISMARCK – Wildfires in October attributed to a decline in oil and gas production in the state that month, according to the director of the North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources.
Nathan Anderson said the state produced 1.178 million barrels of oil a day in October. In September, the state produced 1.199 million barrels of oil a day.
He said the oil production numbers are down about 522,000 barrels for the month.
“This is largely due to the wildfires that occurred starting later in the first week of October and those shut-ins that remain on and off for the remainder of the month,” Anderson said. He said oil production is down 1.8% but it’s still up to the revenue forecast of 7%.
Anderson released the October production numbers this past week. The numbers are normally two months behind.
North Dakota produced 3.4 million cubic feet (MCF) a day of natural gas in October, a decrease of 4.1%. The gas capture was 94%. In September, the gas capture was 95%.
Anderson said the natural gas production was down also due to the wildfires in the state in October.
He said 97% of the state’s oil production is from the Bakken and the Three Forks formations, and 3% from the legacy pools.
On Wednesday, the price of North Dakota Light Sweet crude oil was $62.65 a barrel and West Texas Intermediate was $70.94 a barrel, according to the report. The all-time high was in June 2008 when N.D. Light Sweet was $125.62 a barrel and West Texas Intermediate was $134.02 a barrel.
In September, 100 wells were permitted and in October, 111 wells were permitted, according to Anderson. The all-time high was 370 wells permitted in October 2012.
He said the trend over the past several years has been less 2-mile lateral wells being permitted and more 3-mile lateral permits coming in. He said most recently, there’s been probably half a dozen 4-mile lateral permits, He said the trend for longer laterals continues in the state.
The rig count in North Dakota for the month of October was 39, Anderson said. In November, there were 37 rigs. On Wednesday, he said 37 rigs were actively working in the state and two were on federal surface.
Anderson said North Dakota is fourth in the nation in rig counts. Citing Baker Hughes information, he said 589 rigs are working in the United States. In addition to the 37 in North Dakota, 284 are in Texas, 104 in New Mexico and 43 in Oklahoma.
From a basin standpoint, he said, the Permian is at 304 rigs, Eagle Ford/South Texas at 46 rigs, Williston Basin including North Dakota and Montana around 40 and the Marcelus/Utica (dry gas) at 35.
In October, he said 331 wells were waiting on completion,1,796 are inactive and remains relatively consistent month over month, and 95 were completed. In November, 98 wells (preliminary number) were completed.
He said the number of producing wells set another all-time high of 19,334 in October.
Anderson said 73 abandoned wells have been plugged and 82 sites reclaimed during 2023 through October 2024 as part of a $25 million grant. “We expect this to be closer to the 110 mark once all the grant money is all wrapped up,” he said.
On the Fort Berthold Reservation, Anderson said, oil production is at 177,000 barrels of oil per day. He said one rig is running and the reservation has 2,950 active wells. He said two wells are waiting on completion.
“Production continues to drop slightly month over month. I would likely contribute this to just less activity and a rig count that doesn’t quite add the same production as the decline,” he said, referring to Fort Berthold Reservation.
He said the drilling rig count in the state remains steady even with the mergers and acquisitions across the United States. He said this is expected to increase gradually to the mid-40s sometime over the next couple years.
He said 14 frac crews are actively operating in the state and operators continue to maintain a permit inventory of approximately 12 months.
North Dakota
Found guilty of manslaughter: Dickinson man to spend only about four and a half more years in prison
DICKINSON — A 70-year-old Dickinson man
charged with murder in 2024
was sentenced on Tuesday to 15 years in prison after the charges against him were dropped to manslaughter. According to court documents, he will only be in custody for about four and a half more years.
Nine years were suspended from Jeffrey Powell’s sentence along with 532 days or about one and a half years for time already served.
Barring future developments, Powell will be incarcerated at the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for
the death of 59-year-old Christopher Volney Ische
for about four and a half more years.
That’s just months more than the four-year minimum sentence, according to the Stark County State’s Attorney Amanda Engelstad.
The initial incident happened on July 3, 2024. Police said the shooting, which resulted in Ische’s death, happened around 7 p.m. in a residential neighborhood in Dickinson after a verbal altercation. Police also said Powell had stayed on the scene of the shooting and talked with officers.
At the time of Powell’s arrest, police said they presumed Ische’s death was an isolated incident. He has been held at Southwest Multi-County Correctional Center (SWMCCC) since the incident with a $2 million bond.
Powell
was initially charged with a Class AA felony
, which could carry a maximum sentence of life in prison. On Tuesday, Dec. 16, Powell was found guilty of manslaughter of an adult victim, which is a Class B felony.
Powell pleaded guilty to the manslaughter charge.
Engelstad said to The Press that the difference in charges was based on evidence presented in the trial and was an “appropriate resolution.”
Different sentencing rules applied to Powell, however, because of how North Dakota law interprets the use of a firearm in cases like this.
During the trial, the court found that Powell was a dangerous special offender pursuant to NDCC 12.1-32-09. This portion of North Dakota law allows the court to sentence above normal charges. In Powell’s case, a class B felony typically carries a maximum sentence of 10 years. With the dangerous special offender finding, the sentence can be a maximum of 20 years.
Engelstad said the State had argued for a sentence of 20 years.
“I’m disappointed in the outcome,” said Engelstad.
Additional terms of Powell’s sentence include five years’ supervised probation, along with no contact with the family of the deceased for the same length of time.
If Powell does not violate these terms, his probation will end in 2035. He is scheduled to be released from custody June 23, 2030.
A total of $775 in fees for Powell’s case, including criminal administration, facility admin and victim witness fees, were waived. He may be required to pay restitution. The State’s Attorney’s office has 60 days from the date of judgment to file an affidavit of restitution.
The view through a North Dakota Highway Patrol squad’s windshield. (Facebook)
(FOX 9) – Blizzard warnings are in for parts of both North and South Dakota, creating hazardous conditions for drivers on Thursday morning.
Blizzard warning in effect
What we know:
In North Dakota, the blizzard warning covers most of the northern two-thirds of the state, stretching into northwest Minnesota.
In South Dakota, the blizzard warning only covers three counties in the far northeast part of the state, including Day, Marshall, and Robert counties.
The National Weather Service is only forecasting between one and four inches of snow in North Dakota and two inches of snow in South Dakota, but whipping winds up to 70 miles per hour will greatly reduce visibility and cause damage to trees and power lines.
READ MORE: White-out conditions reported in NW Minnesota
What they’re seeing:
North Dakota Highway Patrol shared photos showing the blizzard conditions along Interstate 94 just east of Bismark. In the photos, it appears you can only see a few feet past the front bumper of the squad.
Another post shows snow whipping in the high winds in Grand Forks County. Troopers are urging residents to stay home in North Dakota if they are able.
Travel restrictions in place
Big picture view:
A travel alert is in effect for western parts of North Dakota while no travel is advised for central and eastern parts of the state. Troopers have restricted oversized loads from roads in the northwest and northeast regions of the state as of 5:30 a.m. and empty or light-loaded high-profile vehicles due to the high winds and icy conditions.
In South Dakota, officials warn that there are reports of multiple downed powerlines and trees blocking roadways. No travel is advised in Day and Marshall counties.
The Source: This story uses information from the North Dakota Highway Patrol and the National Weather Service.
FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) – A 24-year-old suspect wanted on fraud charges in Florida was arrested in Bismarck following a multi-state investigation into alleged economic crimes targeting St. Lucie County, Florida residents in 2024.
Kylen Running Hawk was arrested on Tuesday, Dec. 16, by Bismarck authorities working with the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office. Running Hawk is being held at the Burleigh County Jail pending extradition to Florida.
Running Hawk faces three charges under Florida law:
- Fraud/swindle: Defrauding to obtain property valued at less than $20,000
- Fraud/impersonation: Use or possession of another person’s identification without consent
- Grand theft: Property valued at $750 or more but less than $5,000
Detective Cpl. Redler coordinated the cross-state apprehension, according to the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Copyright 2025 KVLY. All rights reserved.
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