ND prominent again in national rig count

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - A Houston-based company that has tracked U.S. oil drilling activity for more than half a century once again considers North Dakota one of the big players in the nation's energy industry. Baker Hughes Inc. never stopped counting oil rigs in North Dakota, but in 1998 the company removed the state from its list of those with major drilling activity. The list is widely disseminated by the media. Baker Hughes at the time cited a lack of drilling in North Dakota. The company does not have figures for 1998, but its data show that two years later, only 19 rigs were operating in the state. As of Friday, 67 rigs were operating on the North Dakota prairie. And North Dakota was back among the "major" states listed in the rig count. Ron Ness, president of the North Dakota Petroleum Council, said that's no surprise.... [read full story]