Outside looking in
Outside looking in
By STU MERRY
What does 2013 hold in store for oil production in McLean County? Compared to recent years, it’s stacking up to be much quieter.
McLean County is on the fringe of the Bakken formation and is a bit player on the oil producing stage. There are more than 180 active rigs in North Dakota. At present, there are no active drilling rigs operating in the county.
McLean Electric Cooperative currently has 42 oil field accounts with 38 being active for this oil play. Four are in the building stage. MEC also provides power to oil wells in the Lucky Mound area north of Roseglen that were developed in the 1980s. All are in the extreme northwest part of the county.
As 2012 began, MEC officials projected two new oil-related hookups per month. When the year closed, the number was 20. While drilling activity varied the past year, there have been times when no rigs were operating. Marty Dahl, MEC general manager, sees some activity continuing this year, but at a much slower pace.
“We have only seen a few new permits for the area,” Dahl said.
MEC expects some additional wells on existing sites in the future, but these sites were built to provide for the additional build out. Two sites are expected to have four wells on each pad.
