NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665
September 16, 1999
North Dakota ranked ninth nationally in crude oil production for 1998. But Texas, Alaska, California and Louisiana--the leaders in U.S. crude oil production--captured nearly 60 percent of total oil production in the nation, according to the latest Economic Brief released from the North Dakota State Data Center at North Dakota State University.
Last year Texas produced more than 504 million barrels of crude oil. By comparison, North Dakota's 1998 production totaled nearly 36 million barrels, about 7 percent of what Texas produced.
"North Dakota's oil production increased sharply in the mid- to late-1970s and peaked in 1984 at 52.7 million barrels," says Richard Rathge, data center director. "Production declined throughout the late `80s and early `90s but then has showed a slight rebound during the past few years."
Stark County, yielding about 6.8 million barrels of crude oil, was the largest oil-producing county in North Dakota last year. Bowman County was second with 6.4 million barrels. McKenzie County, typically the state's leading oil producer, dropped to fourth.
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Source: Richard Rathge (701) 231-8621
Editor: Dean Hulse (701) 231-6136
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