Nowhere have the effects of the natural gas revolution been more pronounced than in the Bakken region. North Dakota has seen tremendous gains from the utilization of their vast natural resources, both in the form of high paying jobs and a stimulated economy. This has all come on the back of incredible production of energy resources, which only continue to rise. As North American Shale Magazine notes:
“During July, North Dakota’s crude production from the Williston Basin rose to 1.047 million barrels per day, an increase of about 15,000 bpd (1.4 percent) over the previous month. Gas production hit an all-time high of 1.876 million cubic feet per day, also an increase of 1.4 percent.”
Over the last ten years, the oil and gas industry has invested $125 billion in North Dakota for infrastructure related construction. The continued uptick in production once again underscores the need to continue investing in pipeline infrastructure throughout the region. Without the capacity to bring the produced resources to market, we’re leaving money on the table and failing to best utilize what we have right here at home.
CEPI is glad to see this tremendous production grow and grow, and we hope to see a concentrated effort on pipeline infrastructure to bring these resources to markets all along the East Coast, the Gulf Coast, and the rest of the country. Without the pipeline capacity to match our production, we’re not realizing our full potential. It’s important that we don’t let this happen.