North Dakota natgas output slips from monthly record high, flaring eases

Natural gas production in North Dakota slipped to 2.822 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) in May from a record high of 2.833 bcfd in April, while the amount of gas flared during the month declined, according to the North Dakota Industrial Commission:

•  Producers in the state burned off or flared 0.532 bcfd in May, down a bit from April. They captured a record high 2.290 bcfd in May, up from the prior all-time high of 2.288 bcfd in April, the commission said in a report on Tuesday.
•  One billion cubic feet is enough gas to supply about 5 million U.S. homes for a day.
•  The percentage of gas burned decreased to 18.6% in May, down from 19.2% in April.
• The highest monthly percent of gas flared was 36 percent in September 2011.
• The total amount of gas captured in the state was about 81 percent.
• The commission has set a goal of capturing 85 percent of gas produced between Nov. 1, 2016 through Oct. 31, 2018, 88 percent produced between Nov. 1, 2018 through Oct. 31 2020 and 91 percent beginning in November 2020.
• The number of producing wells, both oil and gas, rose to a preliminary record high of 15,698 in May from 15,503 in April.