Oil and natural-gas production across North Dakota continues at solid levels, even as global oil prices hover below the $60-$65 per-barrel threshold. For the industry around Bismarck and the Bakken Formation region, that resilience means keeping wells flowing and jobs in the field active.
According to the latest data from the North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources (DMR), oil production rose from 1.11 million barrels per day in May to 1.15 million in June — a 3.49 % increase.
Natural-gas output also grew, reaching about 3.4 billion cubic feet per day.
Despite industry chatter about lower prices, April-May filings show that a number of operators in North Dakota are already scaling back drilling rigs because the breakeven price in the region is roughly $55-$60 per barrel.
For Bismarck, as home to regulatory offices and a hub for reporting and royalty flow in the state, this steady production means local governments continue to see revenue from oil and gas, and local service and supply firms remain active.
Even in a softer price environment, service companies, field workers, and support-industries (trucking, maintenance) remain engaged.
For landowners and the state, steady production means continued income flows and fewer budget shocks.
While spending might be cautious, the local economy around oil-patch towns and Bismarck remains more stable than some feared.
Operators are still dealing with thin margins. If prices dip further, production could slow – something to watch.
“We’re expecting the rig count to soften just a little bit … related to soft prices and a volatile price environment,” said Nathan Anderson, director of the state regulator. “Production is holding up better than many expected given current prices,” said Ashleigh Thiel of the DMR. “We recorded about 1.15 million barrels per day in June, up from May.”
Even as global oil markets stay choppy, North Dakota’s oil and gas industry is demonstrating resilience — and that matters a lot to Bismarck, local landowners, service firms and workers. While cost pressures and low prices remain a challenge, the fact that production is holding steady means the region isn’t teetering. That said, if prices slide further, the drilling rigs count and investment could yet decline. For now: the patch is steady, the engines are still running.
