Crews ‘just keeping up’ with rigs statewide

By Renée Jean rjean@willistonherald.com

Oil production is continuing a gentle rise, but that hasn’t translated into fewer drilled but uncompleted wells or inactive wells.

North Dakota’s Director of Mineral Resources Lynn Helms said he believes the trend might be due in part to prices, but also to lack of workforce, and warned it could become the new normal if the labor crunch continues.

“The ideal frack to rig crew ratio is three to five,” Helms said, “so three frack crews can keep up with five rigs. And that is where we are now. We are just keeping up.”

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