Oil Extraction and Agricultural Storage Co-Location: A GIS Spatial Analysis in North Dakota

Oil extraction and agricultural production are central to North Dakota’s economy, yet their spatial interactions remain poorly understood. This study conducts a statewide geospatial analysis integrating OpenStreetMap data, GIS processing, DBSCAN clustering, and spatial statistics to examine the colocation of 7102 oil well and 4277 grain silo sites. Hotspot and spatial heterogeneity tests using the Getis–Ord Gi* statistic and local Moran’s I reveal a pronounced spatial divide: oil activity is tightly clustered in the western Bakken region, whereas grain storage facilities concentrate across central and eastern counties. The limited geographic overlap suggests minimal systemic land-use conflict, though localized high-intensity interactions emerge in McKenzie, Dunn, and Mountrail counties. These patterns provide stakeholders with insight into potential shared logistics pressures and localized land-use tensions. More broadly, the study demonstrates the value of spatial data mining techniques applied to free, publicly available data for identifying intersectoral industrial patterns that inform policy and infrastructure planning across North Dakota.