Historical North Dakota fracking information, 1929-2015
 in North Dakota |
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This page contains historical information about fracking in North Dakota. For more current information about fracking in North Dakota, see this article.
As of 2014, detailed information about the extent to which fracking was used in North Dakota was limited. The information below describes fracking and oil and gas production in North Dakota generally.
Fracking background
- See also: Fracking
Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a method of oil and natural gas extraction. The process involves injecting fluid into subterranean rock formation at a high pressure, creating a fracture network that allows the crude oil and natural gas inside dense rocks to flow into a wellbore and be extracted at the surface. The fluid used in this process is made up of sand and water, which comprise 95 percent of the fluid, and other chemical additives, which comprise less than 5 percent of the fluid.[1]
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), there were approximately 23,000 hydraulically fractured wells in the United States in 2000. By 2015, there were an estimated 300,000 hydraulically fractured wells. To learn more about fracking, see this article.[2][3]
History
The first reported discovery of natural gas in North Dakota occurred in the early 1900s in Bottineau County. Commercial production of natural gas began in 1929 in Bowman County. Oil was first struck in the state on April 4, 1951. As of 2014, over 13,000 wells had been drilled in North Dakota. In that time, the state produced over 1.3 billion barrels of oil, making it the third-largest producer of oil in the United States.[4]
Production
The tables and graphs below detail natural gas and oil production in North Dakota from 1990/1991 to 2013. As of October 15, 2014, there were 150 active drilling rigs in North Dakota, according to the North Dakota Oil and Gas Division.[5]
| North Dakota natural gas production | |
|---|---|
| Year | Production in MCF |
| 1991 | 63274281 |
| 1992 | 60417307 |
| 1993 | 64971272 |
| 1994 | 60753257 |
| 1995 | 56905607 |
| 1996 | 55709668 |
| 1997 | 56325554 |
| 1998 | 57679154 |
| 1999 | 55601241 |
| 2000 | 55749745 |
| 2001 | 57954470 |
| 2002 | 59470780 |
| 2003 | 57884187 |
| 2004 | 58838944 |
| 2005 | 58173466 |
| 2006 | 62828287 |
| 2007 | 70782692 |
| 2008 | 87190523 |
| 2009 | 91698431 |
| 2010 | 114389003 |
| 2011 | 155931546 |
| 2012 | 258487752 |
| 2013 | 347618386 |
| North Dakota oil production | |
|---|---|
| Year | Production in barrels |
| 1990 | 36723443 |
| 1991 | 35899235 |
| 1992 | 32902721 |
| 1993 | 30925059 |
| 1994 | 27693359 |
| 1995 | 29335094 |
| 1996 | 32299904 |
| 1997 | 35837096 |
| 1998 | 35564024 |
| 1999 | 32878578 |
| 2000 | 32713018 |
| 2001 | 31693576 |
| 2002 | 30803091 |
| 2003 | 29410706 |
| 2004 | 31152247 |
| 2005 | 35675190 |
| 2006 | 39929532 |
| 2007 | 45143784 |
| 2008 | 62761222 |
| 2009 | 79796387 |
| 2010 | 113072427 |
| 2011 | 153059263 |
| 2012 | 243287285 |
| 2013 | 313801706 |
Fracking at the ballot box
North Dakota citizens voted on Measure 5 (the Clean Water, Wildlife and Parks Amendment) on November 4, 2014. The measure was defeated. Upon voter approval, the measure would have redirected 5 percent of the state's oil extraction tax revenue to a Clean Water, Wildlife, and Parks Trust and a Clean Water, Wildlife, and Parks Fund. Of the revenue received from the oil extraction tax, 90 percent would have been deposited into the fund, while 10 percent would have been deposited into the trust.[6]
The measure was supported by some local and national environmental groups, (a full list of which is available here). Supporters had received $798,375 in contributions as of October 8, 2014.[7] The measure was opposed by some local farming, educational, and oil and gas groups, (a full list of which is available here). Opponents had received $577,950 in contributions as of October 8, 2014.[8]
Fracking in the 50 states
Click on a state below to read more about energy in that state.
See also
External links
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, "North Dakota Profile"
- Frac Focus, "National Hydraulic Fracturing Chemical Registry"
Footnotes
- ↑ Frack Wire, “What is Fracking,” accessed January 28, 2014
- ↑ University of Oklahoma, "Hydraulic Fracturing and Water Resources," accessed March 12, 2014
- ↑ U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Hydraulic fracturing accounts for about half of current U.S. crude oil production," March 15, 2016
- ↑ North Dakota Energy Forum, "North Dakota Oil and Gas History," accessed July 25, 2014
- ↑ North Dakota Oil and Gas Division, "North Dakota Drilling and Production Statistics," accessed October 15, 2014
- ↑ North Dakota Secretary of State, "Initiative Petition," accessed April 24, 2014
- ↑ North Dakota Secretary of State, "North Dakotans for Clean Water, Wildlife and Parks," accessed October 8, 2014
- ↑ North Dakota Secretary of State, "North Dakotans for Common Sense Conservation," accessed October 8, 2014
