The North Dakota Pipeline Authority said on Tuesday oil production is estimated to be down nearly 60,000 to 90,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd) due to the ongoing wildfires in the U.S. state.
It is the third-largest oil producing state in the country, responsible for an output of 1.161 million bpd as of July, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
“Associated wellhead natural gas production today is estimated to be down 0.17-0.26 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd),” Justin Kringstad, the director of the North Dakota Pipeline Authority, said in an emailed response.
The state has been battling up to six wildfires since Oct. 6, which have led to two fatalities so far, according to local media reports.
Earlier in the day, Exxon Mobil said it had shut some oil wells and production sites in North Dakota due to multiple wildfires.
“Our teams are working with emergency responders to assess the damage in areas where wildfires have passed. We will work with industry partners and the local power co-ops to safely restart wells and sites over the coming days,” Exxon said in a statement.
(Reporting by Seher Dareen in Bengaluru, Georgina McCartney in Midland, Texas; Writing by Liz Hampton in Denver; Editing by Devika Syamnath)