05.15.12

Hoeven Congratulates North Dakota on Becoming Second-Leading Oil Producing State: Highlights Need for More Infrastructure Like Keystone XL

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement on news that North Dakota has become the second-leading oil producing state in the nation:

“Today, congratulations are in order on news that North Dakota in March became the second-leading oil producing state in America, surpassing Alaska a year before experts had predicted we would. At nearly 600,000 barrels of oil a day, our production is now second only to Texas. This increased growth is good news for North Dakota and good news for America, but it also has a real impact on the people of our state who are working so hard to meet the energy needs of the nation.

“While welcome, this growth also highlights the pressing need our state and our country has for vital energy infrastructure like the Keystone XL pipeline. We simply cannot wait four years for approval of a project that is so important in so many ways to our state and the American people.

“North Dakota is waiting to put more than 100,000 barrels of oil per day into the Keystone XL pipeline, which would take up to 500 trucks a day off the roads of western North Dakota. That will reduce wear and tear on our highways, but more importantly, it will make them safer and more drivable for the people who live and work in the area.

“Further, Americans are expected to see fuel prices of $3.80 a gallon throughout the summer driving season. At a time when nearly 14 million Americans are out of work, and millions more have stopped looking, the price of gasoline is more than an inconvenience. It’s a hardship, and we have an obligation to do something about it.

“We can start by approving the Keystone XL pipeline, which will create thousands of jobs, increase the nation’s supply of crude oil by more than 830,000 barrels every day and reduce our dependence on Middle Eastern oil. America needs this energy. America needs these jobs. America needs the Keystone XL pipeline.”