A power outage in North Dakota's capital on Wednesday brought down computer servers that provide data used to track myriad output statistics across the second-largest U.S. oil producing state, Reuters said July 8.
The outage means the state's daily drilling rig count - a closely watched number that can offer guidance on future oil production - is not available. The count stood at 76 on Tuesday, near where it has been for several weeks.
The rig count is tabulated daily by the state's Department of Mineral Resources (DMR), North Dakota's oil regulator. Field inspectors upload data to servers in Bismarck, which aggregates the data and automatically publishes it to a public website every day.
The DMR website also provides in-depth data on the depth and length of the state's nearly 15,000 wells, as well as oil production history. A mapping function graphically shows much of this data, including the location of each drilling rig operating in the state.
"We're hoping to get power back soon to the servers, but we're just not sure on timing," said Alison Ritter, a DMR spokeswoman.
MDU Resources Group, which owns the utility for the region, reported that a problem at a substation in northern Bismarck cut electricity to an unknown number of customers. Crews arrived on the scene at roughly 8:30 a.m. local time (1330 GMT) to assess damage, said Rick Matteson, an MDU spokesman.
"They're not sure what the problem is and they don't as yet have an estimate for a restoration time," Matteson said.
Utility customers reported waits of more than 90 minutes to contact MDU's customer service line.
North Dakota produces roughly 1.2 million barrels of oil per day, according to the latest monthly report from the DMR.
Production statistics for May are scheduled to be released on Friday.
Recommended Reading
Verdagy Awarded $39.6MM DOE Grant for Electrolyzer Production
2024-03-14 - Verdagy will use the Department of Energy grant to accelerate the manufacture of e-dynamic electrolyzers for green hydrogen solutions.
Shell Taps Bloom Energy’s SOEC Technology for Clean Hydrogen Projects
2024-03-07 - Shell and Bloom Energy’s partnership will investigate decarbonization solutions with the goal of developing large-scale, solid oxide electrolyzer systems for use at Shell’s assets.
Plug Power Finalizes Contract with US Auto Manufacturer
2024-02-21 - Plug Power says it will supply hydrogen infrastructure and fuel cell solutions as part of the agreement.
John Cockerill Americas President Talks Hydrogen, Electrolyzers
2024-03-06 - Nicolas de Coignac, president of Americas for John Cockerill, recently spoke with Hart Energy about the company’s role in scaling electrolytic hydrogen in the U.S.
Energy Transition in Motion (Week of March 1, 2024)
2024-03-01 - Here is a look at some of this week’s renewable energy news, including Chevron’s plans for a solar-to-hydrogen facility in California.