SD geologist says oil potential is unexplored

SPEARFISH, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota's state geologist says that if the state has as much oil as North Dakota, someone's going to have to go look for it.

Derric Iles says South Dakota's oil potential is significant but it's unexplored. And he says if South Dakota has a lot of oil, it won't come from the Bakken because the geologic formation that is pumping out oil in huge volumes in North Dakota doesn't extend into South Dakota.

The Rapid City Journal reports that Iles spoke at a conference in Spearfish dealing with South Dakota's oil potential. He says the Red River formation in northwest South Dakota has been producing oil since the 1950s, but geologists have ignored the potential from two other formations: the Three Forks and the Minnelusa.

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