Eloise Ogden/MDN Oil and gas production in North Dakota has reached another all-time high, according to Lynn Helms, director of the N.D. Department of Mineral Resources.

BISMARCK – Oil and gas production continues on the rise in the North Dakota oil patch with more all-time highs

Lynn Helms, director of the North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources, reported Friday the state pumped out more than 1.291 million barrels of oil a day in August. The previous month’s production was more than 1.269 million barrels a day.

Helms reported 96 percent of the state’s oil production is coming from the Bakken and Three Forks formations and 4 percent from legacy conventional pools.

The state also produced 2.437 billion cubic feet a day a day of natural gas in August, compared to 2.393 MCF in July.

North Dakota also had a preliminary new all-time high of 15,103 producing wells, compared to 14,980 in July.

The August production figures are the most recent ones available.

As of Friday, North Dakota sweet crude, according to Flint Hill Resources, was at $58.75 a barrel. The all-time high was $136.29 a barrel on July 3, 2008.

Also as of Friday, 67 rigs were actively drilling in North Dakota, according to the N.D. Oil and Gas Division, a division of the Mineral Resources Department.

Activity on the Fort Berthold Reservation includes 14 drilling rigs, 280,934 barrels of oil produced a day, 1,936 active wells and 136 wells waiting on completion.

Helms said the number of well completions has become variable again due to gas capture, workforce and weather at 85 (final number) in June, 125 (final number) in July and 114 (preliminary number) in August.