North Dakota produced 16.9 million barrels of oil in January 2012, beating out California by more than one million barrels to become the country’s third largest oil producer. Texas is the country’s largest oil producer, followed by Alaska. Some estimate that North Dakota could soon reach #2.
North Dakota has seen a surge of oil activity over the past couple years, rising from ninth place in 2006 to its newly established third-place position in 2012.
The oil boom has brought with it thousands of new jobs and people to the state, but has also brought with it increased crime and has put a strain on infrastructure. While many have benefited greatly from the oil boom, there has also been some debate on whether all this oil activity is really such a good thing.
What do think of all of this oil activity? Good or bad? Share your thoughts below.
