North Dakota is close to hitting total oil production of 5 billion barrels, local media has reported, citing the director of the state’s Department of Mineral Resources. According to Lyn Helms, the biggest challenge for the energy industry in the state that is home to the Bakken shale play is extending the life of the play amid pipeline capacity constraints. The constraints are emerging as production moves from the center of the play outwards. This is especially true of natural gas pipelines to take away the associated gas extracted alongside…
