December 2025 Director’s Cut

North Dakota’s “Director’s Cut” briefing for October production shows a steady month, with oil output essentially flat-to-up from September (about 1.168 million barrels per day) and slightly above the state revenue forecast, while gas production was about 110.1 Bcf for the month. The update also flags where activity may be softening: the rig count sits at 27 and the reported frac-crew count is down to 7.

The bigger storyline is how companies are leaning on efficiency—especially longer laterals—to keep production resilient, with average completed lateral footage hitting 12,076 feet in Q3 2025 and most new wells clustered in the 2- and 3-mile categories. On the midstream side, statewide gas capture is reported at 95.2%, and the Bakken xPress project is listed with a May 2026 targeted in-service date.

The full report can be viewed below along with the accompanying slides.