Once the gathering issue is under control, the next opportunity for investment is in infrastructure.

"We are really focused on using compressed natural gas (CNG) as an alternative fuel source for our drilling and fracking operations," Rankin said. "There are economic benefits when you look at the price of diesel and the price of natural gas. But there are some challenges, for example, there is only one CNG station in North Dakota and it's in Dickinson. I think that might have even closed down (to the public). So in order to make this thing a full scale operation and really get more people involved than just our industry, we are going to have to increase the infrastructure."

Statoil has experience with using CNG in a box, which, according to Rankin takes natural gas from the wellhead, compresses it, runs it through a processing plant that takes out the natural gas liquids, then compresses the stripped gas with another compressor which then is transported by high-pressure tube trailers.

Rankin added one double-edged trend in this CNG conversion is the end users. He believes there needs to be more customers in order to advance this natural gas movement, but other areas may see immediate benefits.