Harsh Winter and Oil Production Forecast - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

Harsh Winter and Oil Production Forecast

This winter is already proving to be colder and snowier than last year's mild season, but will that have an impact on the state's ever- increasing oil development?

Experts in the industry say it's impossible to say.

Alison Ritter with the North Dakota Oil and Gas Division says in April 2011--the month of a huge snowstorm in Williston--there was a decrease in production.

But she says, previous winters to last, produced increases, and it's impossible to forecast how the weather could impact oil production.

"If there are colder temperatures that could have an impact on fracking because obviously they have to use heated water and keep that water warm, there's instances where we would have major, major snowfall, we may have to shut in some wells and keep them from producing, that could all have an impact, but again, you can't really speculate on that because you really don't know what the weather's going to bring in North Dakota." says Alison Ritter/ND Oil and Gas Division.