200 Rigs, 2000 Wells, in 2011

Update

On August 26, 2011, "we" hit 200 active drilling rigs in North Dakota.

Original Post

Too much to do right now so just the link now, from the Bismarck Tribune, December 26, 2010:

Folks who thought life in the oil patch was a whirlwind this year, should hang onto their hats.

What’s forecast will be gale-force winds by comparison.

Lynn Helms, director of the Department of Mineral Resources, said he expects 2,000 new Bakken-Three Forks wells will be drilled in 2011.

That number will more than double the new wells drilled this year and is the same as the number of all Bakken wells ever drilled.

“It’s going to be big, bigger than anything we've had yet,” said Helms.

He says that with some confidence because he’s got 870 well permits ready to go for next year and another 10 to 20 permit applications coming in every week.