North Dakota oil production rises to near-record in May despite slumping crude prices

North Dakota oil drillers in May nearly matched the state's record production despite weak crude prices.

The Department of Mineral Resources says North Dakota oil production was pegged at 1.2 million barrels daily in May. That's up about 3 percent from April.

May's production was about 20,000 barrels a day less than the record set in December. Oil production figures have a two-month lag time.

The state produced 50 million cubic feet of natural gas in May, an all-time high. The natural gas flaring rate remained unchanged at 18 percent.