Bakken sets gas production record as DUC wells in core area are opened

摘要

Gas production in North Dakota’s Bakken Shale set an all-time high in February after recently deployed fracking crews cracked open some drilled but uncompleted (DUC) wells and additional gas processing capacity was brought online in the region. After dropping for two consecutive months, February production averaged 1.69 Bcf/d, according to state data released April 15. This represented a month-to-month jump of 50 MMcf/d. It also surpassed the prior all-time high of 1.676 Bcf/d set in November 2015. Despite rig counts dropping to historic lows, operators began deploying frack crews this year to cut into the backlog of DUC wells. These DUCs, strategically placed in the core counties of the play, not only produce more oil, but also higher levels of associated gas.