Director's Cut -- October, 2018, Data -- New All-Time High

The big story regarding the October, 2018, data? See survey at the sidebar at the right. 

With about one-fourth the record number of active rigs, North Dakota set another all-time record for crude oil production.

The usual disclaimer applies: this page is done very quickly. There will be factual and typographical errors. If this information is important to you, go to the source. 

The Director's Cut for the October, 2018, data has been posted. It will download as a PDF on your desktop.

The number is: 1,391,877 bopd. 

Crude oil production:

• October, 2018: hits a new all-time high -- 1,391,877 bopd
• September, 2018: was a new all-time high -- 1,359,282 bopd
• delta, bbls: 32,595
• delta, percent: an increase of 2.4% month-over-month

Producing wells:

• October, 2018: 15,344 -- a new all-time high
• September, 2018: 15,287 -- it was a new all-time high

Natural gas production:

• October, 2018: 2,562,465 MCF/day -- a new all-time high
• September, 2018: 2,532,018 Mcf/d -- it was a new all-time high
• delta, cubic feet: 35,031 Mcf/d
• delta, percent: 1.4%

Permitting:

• October, 2018: 183
• September, 2018: 113

Off line:

• DUCs: 959, up thirty-one from last report (tracked here)
• inactive: 1,363, down 23 from last report
• total: 2,322 (more than the total number of wells that will be drilled in North Dakota this year)

Flaring:

• statewide, captured: 2,035,436 Mcf/day -- daily rate (October, 2018)
• NDIC says this is a new all-time high but they are talking about monthly capture
• the September, 2018, daily capture was actually higher at 2,075,451 Mcf/day
• the month of October, at 63,098,514 Mcf/day is higher than the month of September, at 2,075,451 Mcf/day
• statewide, capture: 80% -- down from 82% last month -- wow!!
• FBIR Bakken: 73% -- slightly better than the 71% reported last month
• current goal: 88%