Regional economic experts see continued expansion of oil production and population growth in western North Dakota.

In addition to Williston, which is the hub of development of the Bakken Formation, smaller communities such as Watford City are booming and creating business opportunities.

Watford City is about 45 miles south of Williston.  The rapidly growing seat of McKenzie County had about 1,700 residents in 2010, but the community serves thousands more these days.

“There is not going to be any letup in the number of drilling rigs operating in McKenzie County anytime in the near future, nor is there going to be any significant drop-off in the number of people flooding into the county seeking jobs in the oil patch,” the McKenzie County Farmer recently reported.

A study presented to Watford City and McKenzie County leaders indicates that the number of rigs drilling and operating in the county will continue to increase until 2025, and that production would continue at a steadier pace after that.  The number of oilfield workers also is projected to keep growing for years.

Entities that contributed to the study included the North Dakota Department of Minerals and North Dakota State University.

To see the full newspaper story about the report, click here.