Rising Bakken gas output an opportunity, not a threat

The formation’s gas-to-oil ratio is set to keep rising, but new markets and midstream plans mean infrastructure constraints may not be an issue

Bakken gas production has grown significantly over the past several years despite relatively stagnant oil output from the formation due to a rising gas-to-oil ratio (GOR). “New wells being drilled in the Bakken are not yielding more gas than prior vintages,” Amber McCullagh, vice-president of midstream research at consultancy Rystad Energy, told Petroleum Economist. “On a single-well basis, Bakken gas-oil ratios have been stable over the last 6–8 years, with a new well producing 25—30% as much gas as it does oil in its first year of production.” “However, each individual well, in the Bakken and other plays, sees gas comprise a rising share of its wellhead volumes over time. In the Bakken, wh