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The new assessment estimated that 5.8 billion barrels could be recovered in North Dakota and 1.6 billion barrels in Montana. Estimated South Dakota production was near non-existent, according to the study. Geologists and oil companies have mixed opinions whether the Three Forks is a separate oil-producing formation or if it acts as a trap, catching oil that leaks from the Bakken shale above. Some have said it could be a combination of both. To capture crude from the formations, companies drill down nearly two miles then angle the well sideways for about another two to three miles. A pressurized concoction of water, chemicals and sand is injected to break open oil-bearing rock, which allows the oil to flow to the well. That technique, known has hydraulic fracturing or fracking, has elevated North Dakota from the ninth biggest oil-producing state just six years ago to second, trailing only Texas. In some states, it's been blamed for endangering water quality. North Dakota regulators say the state's water sources are protected by thousands of feet of geologic formations atop fracturing operations.
[Associated
Press;
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