After months of mixed economic news and 9-10 percent unemployment, it's heartening to read about areas of the country that seem to be doing well.

As we pointed out last week, North Dakota's record oil production for 2009 and its ongoing "oil boom" has had a very positive impact on the state's economy, revenue and jobs.

Recently, North Dakota Petroleum Council (NDPC) president Ron Ness said he expected 2010 North Dakota oil production "to be way off the chart."

He was right.

Carpe Diem blogger Mark Perry highlights the state's record monthly oil production for May 2010 in a blog post from this week. Mark says:

"Total Monthly Production: 9,189,101 barrels in May, the first time that monthly production topped 9 million barrels. Amazingly, oil production in North Dakota has doubled in just... more »

North Dakota produced a record amount of crude oil last year, putting it ahead of Louisiana as the fourth-largest oil-producing state. The state produced 79.7 million barrels of crude oil in 2009, and it expects to produce even more this year.

"Oil production was off the chart in 2009," Ron Ness, president of North Dakota Petroleum Council, told the Associated Press. "I think 2010 is going to be way off the chart."

According to the annual oil patch statistics released by the petroleum council, North Dakota produced 218,455 barrels per day in 2009 from areas inside and outside of the Bakken Formation, which is an oil-rich shale formation that stretches under the western half of the state. A couple of years ago, the U.S. Geological Survey made headlines when it announced the Bakken could hol... more »