Here We Go! North Dakota Tied For Third Spot -- Probably in Third Place Alone -- The Williston Basin, North Dakota

If accurate, the Minot Press will get bragging rights for breaking the story first, at least as far as I know. This link was sent to me by Don. (I just checked the Williston, Bismarck, and Dickinson papers and did not see this published yet; thus, the Minot Press has bragging rights.)

It appears that, according to the most recent data available, North Dakota has tied California in oil production (tied for third) and has probably moved ahead if trajectories remained the same. If so, North Dakota would be in 3rd place by itself, behind Alaska and Texas.

North Dakota has tied with California in oil production, leaving it on the verge of leapfrogging "The Golden State."

North Dakota then will become No. 3 in oil production, following only Alaska and the No. 1 state, Texas.
In December 2011, North Dakota produced an all-time high of 535,000 barrels of oil a day, according to preliminary figures, said Alison Ritter, public information officer with the North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources in Bismarck.

North Dakota's oil production tie with California is based on California's October statistic, the most recent one, of about 535,000 barrels of oil produced a day.

North Dakota regulators predicted late last year the state could surpass California in early 2012. They figure North Dakota possibly will surpass Alaska later this year.

I assume the only that could change the trajectories would be the glut of oil at Clearbrook, MN, and Cushing, OK, forcing operators to slow production.