North Dakota’s Bakken Oil Play

Dedicated to …

Updated Friday, November 21, 2008

 
 
Mountrail County is a rolling grassland of nearly 2000 square miles in northwestern North Dakota. The county's economy has long been based on agriculture. It is a land of farms and ranches together with small towns providing services to the rural population.

In 2007 the county found itself in the heart of the state’s oil development, thanks to the Bakken Formation.

The Bakken (pronounced BOK-en) is a vast, deep formation of permeable rock rich in both natural gas and quality crude oil. The Bakken is also being tapped in Montana and Saskatchewan.

The oil and gas fields in Mountrail County have expanded as fast as labor, materials, housing, transportation and state permitting will allow. The expansion has been fueled by innovative drilling and extracting technologies and, initially, favorable crude prices.

 

BakkenBlog’s single purpose: to bring information about Bakken energy development both to locals and to former residents who an have interest in and around Mountrail County.

We avoid advertising and try to keep a lid on promotion. We don’t affiliate with other websites (other than through linking). Our intent is to present news, data, reports and other information related to the Bakken Play (and increasingly Three Forks development).

We offer occasional remarks in our Crude Talk section but otherwise leave speculation and opinion to others.

Crude Talk was last updated on Monday, November 3, 2008.

The Bakken:
“largest continuous oil accumulation ever assessed by the USGS”

U.S. Geological Survey press release, April 10, 2008

Formerly BakkenResources.com

Time/Temp in Stanley, ND

Newcomer to North Dakota’s oil and gas industry? In addition to information in BakkenBlog, you’ll find this 9-page FAQ from the North Dakota Petroleum Council (PDF format) very helpful. Topics covered are:

  1. •Surface Owner Questions

  2. •Mineral Owner Questions

  3. •Regulatory Questions

  4. •Bakken Basics

  5. •Royalties and Tax Questions

  6. •Oil and Gas Production

  7. •Roads, Pipelines and Electrical Transmission Questions

Click image on right to download or view Oil and Gas Frequently Asked Questions