Catching up with a national trend showing declines in the exploration and production sector, North Dakota reported an 8.5 percent drop in rig activity. The state reported 64 rigs actively exploring for or producing oil or natural gas in the state as of Monday. That’s down from the 70 reported last week and a sharp reversal in recent trends showing moderate stability in the No. 2 oil-producing state in the nation. Crude oil prices have moved consistently lower as weak economic growth balances against an increase in production, largely from U.S. shale oil basins. That’s left energy companies with less capital to invest in […]