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The Bakken shale is primarily an oil play. It straddles the US border with Canada and runs through two states – North Dakota and Montana – and two Canadian provinces – Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The US Geological Survey estimates there are 3.65 billion barrels of recoverable crude oil in the Bakken, which would make it the largest oil field in the US outside Alaska. The Bakken is located in the Williston Basin, but not all of the basin includes the Bakken.
The Sanish-Three Forks area is located below the Bakken shale zone and is potentially another new oil reservoir. Brigham Exploration Co. has been active in this area. Natural gas is also found in some parts of the Bakken. The USGS estimates there is about 2.0 trillion cubic feet of gas and another 150 million barrels of natural gas liquids. Major players in the Bakken include EOG Resources, Continental Resources, and Enerplus Resources.
OFS Energy Fund invests in Buckhorn Energy Services
Apr 13, 2012
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. |
Continental looks to enrich Bakken position with Wheatland acquisition
Mar 28, 2012
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. |
Voyager to use new credit facility to pay debt, accelerate Williston Basin activities
Feb 13, 2012
Billings, MT-based Voyager Oil & Gas has entered into a new $150 million credit facility with Macquarie Bank Ltd. |
Breitling Oil and Gas enters Bakken Shale
Dec 27, 2011
Irving, Tex.-based Breitling Oil and Gas Corp. said Dec. 27 that it has acquired a large acreage position in the Sand Creek field, a proven and prolific part of the Bakken shale formation in McKenzie County, North Dakota. |
Ten largest operators account for 90% of 2011 Bakken growth
Dec 19, 2011
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Investor group to gain shale play acreage with Samson acquisition
Nov 23, 2011
An investor group consisting of KKR, NGP, Crestview Partners and Itochu Corp., has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Samson Investment Co., one of the largest private exploration and production companies in the US, for $7.2 billion. |
Statoil enters Bakken Shale with $4.4B purchase of Brigham Exploration
Oct 18, 2011
Norway’s Statoil ASA said Oct. 17 that it has entered into a merger agreement for Statoil to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Austin, Tex.-based Brigham Exploration Company for US$36.5 per share through an all-cash tender offer. |
Kodiak adds to Bakken acreage with Williston Basin acquisition
Sep 28, 2011
Looking to add to its Bakken Shale leasehold, Kodiak Oil & Gas Corp. has entered into a definitive purchase and sale agreement with a private oil and gas company to acquire additional producing properties and undeveloped leasehold in the Williston Basin for approximately $235 million in cash. |
Sionix leases North Dakota land for Bakken Water Treatment Plant
Aug 30, 2011
Sionix Corp. has executed an agreement with Dakota Solutions Inc. for the lease of property in Tioga, North Dakota for the construction and operation of a Waste Water Treatment Facility in the Bakken Shale Formation. |
Halliburton to hire 11,000, mostly for Bakken Shale play
Aug 25, 2011
Houston-based Halliburton plans to hire more than 11,000 employees this year, according to Jim Brown, Western Hemisphere president of the company. |
Magnum Hunter to buy North Dakota Williston Basin assets for $57M
Aug 5, 2011
A subsidiary of Magnum Hunter Resources Corp. has negotiated an agreement to purchase operated working interest ownership in oil and gas leases and 191 wells on roughly 15,500 gross acres over four counties in the Williston Basin of North Dakota from a private company for $57 million. |
Leaving Bakken for emerging shale oil, Anschutz Exploration exits Williston Basin
Aug 1, 2011
The Anschutz Exploration Corp. closed the sale of its remaining operated and non-operated producing properties and undeveloped acreage in the Williston Basin of Montana and North Dakota to an undisclosed Canadian oil company for $115 million. |
Brigham Exploration accelerating Bakken program
May 16, 2011
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American Eagle, FX Energy to evaluate Alberta Bakken acreage
May 9, 2011
FX Energy Inc. has signed an agreement with American Eagle Energy Inc., and Big Sky Operating LLC, to jointly explore approximately 75,000 acres in the Alberta Bakken in Northwest Montana. |
Magnum Hunter closes NuLock acquisition; adds Williston Basin acreage
May 3, 2011
Continuing its liquids-rich shale play growth, Magnum Hunter Resources Corp. and its newly-acquired subsidiary NuLoch Resources Inc. have acquired 16,800 gross acres in the Williston Basin in a “bolt-on” acquisition. |
The “natural gas revolution” is changing global energy dynamics, including the outlook for energy security in the United States and elsewhere. 
In his keynote speech to the annual 31st annual CERAWeek Executive Conference in Houston, Peter Voser, CEO of Royal Dutch Shell plc, outlines what the industry and policymakers must do to ensure society fully leverages the many benefits of natural gas. He calls for well-targeted and robustly enforced regulations to ensure tight and shale gas production meets the highest standards. He also urges the industry to do a better job of listening and responding to public concerns about the environmental and operational challenges associated with gas production.
Read the full speech by Peter Voser here.