Interview with North Dakota Petroleum Council President Ron Ness
(BISMARCK, ND) – North Dakota oil and gas industry leaders, along with Governor Kelly Armstrong, are highlighting the economic impact of the industry on North Dakota.
“The oil and natural gas industry continues to be a major force in North Dakota’s economy, benefiting communities across our great state,” Armstrong said. “Taxes and royalties paid by the industry support state and local investments in infrastructure, schools, communities, tax relief and the Legacy Fund, among other areas.”
In a press conference Tuesday, Armstrong, along with North Dakota Petroleum Council President Ron Ness and NDSU Research Scientists Nancy Hodur and Dean Bangsrud, presented the findings from a study conducted by the University.
“It’s always positive to see where our industries are at,” Ness said.
In the 2023 study, Bangsrud found that 35 percent of North Dakota’s gross state product came from the oil and gas industry, providing a $48.7 billion total economic impact. Additionally, a total of 63,760 jobs were supported by the oil and gas industry in 2023, with a near 50/50 split between direct and secondary jobs.
“We’re well poised for going forward,” Ness said. It’s a good check of where we’re at and where we’re headed, because we certainly don’t want to see things slide in the other direction.”
Oil and gas benefits every corner of the state through various funds supporting investments into water, property tax, transportation and school funding.
“We know it’s funding water projects, education, tax relief and university buildings,” Ness said. So partnering with ag and some opportunities going forward, it’s a super big deal and opportunity.”
Since the Bakken was discovered in 2005, oil production is up more than 900 percent, while gas production is up nearly 1,900 percent. There were 437.8 million barrels, and 1.25 trillion cubic feet of gas produced in 2024, the study found. North Dakota remains in the top 20 oil producers in the world, and is the third largest oil-producing state in the United States.
