North Dakota’s oil production decreased by 22,500 barrels per day (bpd) in June, bringing the total to an estimated 1.176 million bpd, according to the state’s Pipeline Authority. This marks the second straight month of decline for the state, which is the third-largest oil producer in the U.S.
Production levels have been on a downward trend since peaking at 1.29 million bpd in September 2023, the highest output since March 2020. Regulators indicated that reaching 1.3 million bpd by the end of the year may be challenging, although they expect an increase in well completions from June levels.
Additionally, Marathon Petroleum’s Mandan refinery, with a capacity of 71,000 bpd, resumed operations after a turnaround in late July. The state has also faced some natural gas plant outages during the summer, which could further impact production levels.