US. energy investors have been enamored with growing crude and liquids-rich plays with increased drilling and development going forward in both the US and Canada. However, the advent of widespread use of hydraulic fracturing has resulted in great strides for oil completions in the Bakken Shale of North Dakota and Montana.

Production from the Bakken formation in the Williston Basin has been improving steadily with technological advances.

Oasis Petroleum Inc. has priced an offering of $400 million aggregate principal amount of senior unsecured notes due 2023.

Depressed natural gas prices continue to plague oil and gas companies, but those operating in the Bakken continue to reap the benefits of the unconventional oil revolution.

The Canadian oil sands industry may once again be forced to table projects as it did in 2008 and 2009 when the global recession added to difficulties already faced by the industry. In addition to high operational costs, declining oil prices, and a skilled personnel shortage, oil sands projects now face competition from growing tight oil production from US oil plays – particularly North Dakota’s Bakken, noted Wood Mackenzie in a recent report. 

Sugar Land, Texas-based Rangeland Energy LLC’s COLT facility is in service in North Dakota’s Bakken Shale.  COLT is North Dakota’s largest, open-access crude oil marketing terminal.

Black Ridge Oil & Gas, Inc., formerly Ante5, Inc., did not close on the asset purchase agreement dated March 21, 2012 for the acquisition of over 8,655 net mineral acres in the Bakken/Three Forks trends in North Dakota.

Noble Royalties, Inc. has closed on the acquisition of producing oil and natural gas royalties in seven North Dakota counties from an undisclosed seller. The $37.75 million Bakken Shale acquisition consists of 81% oil, 15% natural gas and 4% natural gas liquids production. The acquisition includes not only the currently producing wells in the Bakken Shale, but other target formations that are being developed in the area. These include the Three Forks, Mission Canyon, Duperow and Red River formations.

Houston-based OFS Energy Fund II has completed a growth equity investment in Buckhorn Energy Services LLC, a recently formed provider of oilfield waste disposal in North Dakota.

Tulsa, Okla.-based ONEOK Partners, LP is entering the crude-oil transportation business with plans to invest $1.5 billion to $1.8 billion to build a 1,300-mile crude-oil pipeline from the Bakken Shale in the Williston Basin in North Dakota to the Cushing, Okla., crude-oil market hub.

Continental Resources Inc. is looking to boost its position in the Bakken with the purchase of Enid, Oklahoma-based Wheatland Oil Inc. assets for $340 million.

Billings, MT-based Voyager Oil & Gas has entered into a new $150 million credit facility with Macquarie Bank Ltd.

AIM-listed oil and gas production company Magnolia Petroleum Plc has acquired a 100% interest in 800 acres in the oil producing Mississippi Lime formation, Oklahoma and minority interests in leases over a further 284 net acres.