NORTH DAKOTA ( KXNET ) — Both oil and gas production were trending up in North Dakota over the last month, but state leaders say recent wildfires impacted oil activity near Williston.

Justin Kringstad, the director of North Dakota’s pipeline authority says the recent wildfire in Ray and Tioga temporarily shut down the gas plant and several nearby wells as a precaution.

Assistant director of mineral resources Mark Bohrer says Chord Energy, who operates the gas plant in Tioga lost some buildings at their well sites, but he says fortunately, there were no oil tank fires that started.

Bohrer says much of the oil activity is resuming after the fires, he says there are 40 active oil rigs running in North Dakota and 376 wells waiting to be completed.

“The wildfires were very devastating to the industry and the landowners and the people that live out there, in particular, it’s an unfortunate situation but it’s been very dry there were wells that were shut in,” Mark Bohrer, assistant director of mineral resources said. “As a precautionary measure, the industry responded and helped out with fighting the fires.”

Kringstad says he estimates the state is down about 500,000 barrels so far from the wildfires in western North Dakota.

Bohrer says while some oil operators were asked to voluntarily shut down around 300 to 400 wells, they say around 100 wells were damaged in the fires.

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