By Dave Thompson, Prairie Public Radio

BISMARCK, N.D. (Prairie Public Radio) – North Dakota Mineral Resources Director Lynn Helms had this description Friday for the July oil production numbers.

Helms says that’s because oil production went down in July, compared to June. He says he expected things to be up. But he said that’s not the case.

The driver – according to state Pipeline Authority director Justin Kringstad – has to do with natural gas. He says five of the gas processing facilities were off-line that month. Kringstad says in the past, if those plants were off-line, gas flaring would spike.

This meant that North Dakota has dropped to third place in US oil production, dropping behind New Mexico.

Kringstad says gas capture did drop to 90 percent – below the state’s goal of 91 percent. But Kringstad says as the plants get back on line, the wells should start producing again, and more gas can be captured.