North Dakota’s potential as a crude oil and natural gas producer continues to grow. The U.S. Geological Survey recently released new, much higher estimates for the recoverable oil in the state.

The USGS doubled its 2008 estimate, in part, because of improved drilling technologies and improved knowledge of the Bakken, Three Forks and adjacent formations and deposits. When that estimate came out five years ago, the agency did not believe the Three Forks formation would be productive. Now it’s expected to produce as well as the Bakken.

The USGS estimate puts recoverable reserves at 7.4 billion barrels. Insiders put that number closer to 11 billion barrels.

It’s good news.

And it’s not just bragging rights. Developing oil fields requires billions of dollars. Secure knowledge that there’s long-term life to wells reduces some of the risk of investing capital.

North Dakota would very much like to bring its natural gas flaring under control. Doing that will require hundreds of miles of natural gas pipelines. The improved figures for recoverable oil, as well as increased estimates of natural gas reserves, will help finance the building of the networks necessary to capture and move natural gas to market.

Chalk up some of these increased reserves to good ol’ American know-how. Early on, a well in western North Dakota could be expected to produce 400,000 barrels of oil. That number now is 600,000.

It’s increased by a third due to experience and know-how. The structures are unstable and thin. Getting them to produce crude required remarkable adjustment in the drilling and fracking processes.

The new reserve numbers for oil and gas in western North Dakota confirm the state and its residents are in for the long haul.

— The Bismarck (N.D.) Tribune