Oil production from the Bakken shale play in North Dakota broke through a critical threshold in July, the state's Industrial Commission said according to Bloomberg News.
The Bakken has been the single most important unconventional oil play in the U.S. in recent years, as output from the shale deposit has sent North Dakota skyrocketing into second-place among the oil-producing states in the country.
In July, production from the shale play alone topped 600,000 barrels per day, reaching an all-time peak of 609,580 barrels per day.
According to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, that production level puts the Bakken shale play alone ahead of third-place California in terms of oil output and makes the Bakken responsible for more than 90 percent of the state's production.
"It’s amazing how quickly production has grown, and it’s still in its early stages," said Christian O’Neill, a Bloomberg Industries senior analyst for oil and gas. "Completion techniques are improving, and the time to drill wells is getting shorter and shorter. This is the beginning of an oil renaissance in North America."
PennEnergy's Research area details oil production from the Bakken shale region.
