BISMARCK – The North Dakota Industrial Commission granted exemptions from its flaring policy to three wells owned by Marathon Oil, but limited the exemption to four months.
Lynn Helms, director of the Department of Mineral Resources, recommended a six-month exemption for two wells in Dunn County and one well in McKenzie County due to difficulties the company had in obtaining pipeline right-of-ways.
The Industrial Commission approved the exemption Thursday, but limited it to four months in anticipation that a new ONEOK gas plant coming online would be able to process the gas.
Without the exemption, Marathon was capturing 76.5 percent of natural gas produced, and the current requirement is 77 percent, said Alison Ritter, spokeswoman for the Department of Mineral Resources.
