Temperatures were so low this week in North Dakota—how about minus 20 for a high—that the state’s oil production was cut in half.
Oil production fell between 600,000 and 650,000 barrels a day as of Tuesday, reported the North Dakota Pipeline Authority. Justin Kringstad, director of the state’s pipeline authority reported that on Wednesday, the reduction was closer to 700,000 barrels of oil a day.
Home to the Bakken shale formation where Oklahoma City-based Continental Resources has become one of the largest producers in North Dakota, oil production in October totaled 1.2 million barrels. October was the latest month for available data.
Over the weekend, temperatures ranged from a high of minus-9 degrees to a low of minus 20 degrees in Bismarck, North Dakota. Wind chill values were in the minus 30 to minus 40 degree range, making it dangerous for outdoor oilfield operations to be conducted.
Record lows were set in some of North Dakota’s oil producing region. Dickinson and Minot recorded record maximum temperatures. The Bismarck Tribune reported the mercury never got “higher” than minus 19 in Minot and minus 21 in Dickinson.