ND September oil production dips

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota’s oil production decreased by more than 10,000 barrels a day in September.

The Department of Mineral Resources says the state produced an average of 971,658 barrels of oil daily in September, down from 982,011 barrels a day in August.

The September tally was the second straight month that oil fell below 1 million barrels per day, a mark the state had surpassed for more than two years.

North Dakota also produced 1.61 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day in September, down from 1.63 billion cubic feet daily in August.

The September figures are the latest available because oil production numbers typically lag at least two months.

There were 38 drill rigs operating in North Dakota’s oil patch on Wednesday. That’s up from an average of 34 rigs daily in September.