Production from the Bakken shale play in North Dakota was a standout in terms of gains for Marathon Oil, which posted a $386 million loss in the second quarter. For all of North America, the company said in its second quarter report net production averaged 274,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. That represents a 21 percent increase year-on-year, but 3 percent lower than first quarter 2015. Marathon President and Chief Executive Officer Lee Tillman said the net decline was in part because of less spending on exploration and production. “Capital spending in the quarter was down about 40 percent sequentially as we’ve moderated activity levels in the U.S. resource plays,” he said in a statement. In North Dakota, […]