The Bakken Oil Patch

The Bakken oil boom of the 2010s dwarfed previous oil production expansions in Montana and North Dakota. Explore a range of economic, demographic and financial data for the Bakken to date, and learn about factors driving jobs and other forms of development in the oil patch of North Dakota and Montana.

Location of the Bakken in the Ninth District

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North Dakota is the third largest oil-producing state in the country behind New Mexico and Texas.

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Oil Drilling Rigs

	Jun 2025	Pct. change from a year earlier
North Dakota	30	-17%
Montana	2	0%

Oil prices

	Jun 2025	Pct. change from a year earlier
Cushing, OK WTI Spot Price	$62.17	-21%

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The Bakken area represents most of oil production in Montana and North Dakota.

Production (millions of barrels)

	Feb 2025	Pct. change from a year earlier
Bakken Oil Counties	33	5%
Rest of Montana	0	-25%
Rest of North Dakota	1	-25%

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Employment doubled in the Bakken from 2009 to 2015; however, employment levels fell steeply in 2015 and 2016 as oil drilling slowed, before resuming a slow climb until early 2020.

Employment (Thousands)¹

	Apr 2025	Pct. change from a year earlier
Bakken Oil Counties	65.80	2.1%
Rest of Montana	550.40	0.4%
Rest of North Dakota	362.66	1.1%

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The decrease in the Bakken unemployment rate following 2009 was sharper than other areas. After increasing with the decline in drilling from 2015 to 2017, unemployment resumed its downward trajectory prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Unemployment Rate¹