"The North American energy industry's reputation for ironclad secrecy is starting to crack as producers discover a little transparency can help save millions of dollars."

"That is what is motivating Continental Resources Inc , the biggest player in North Dakota's prolific Bakken shale field, to take the unusual step of sharing its long-term drilling plans with pipeline companies.

The company, led by the legendary wildcatter Harold Hamm, hopes the disclosures will speed up the routing of new pipelines that connect to its fields and ultimately reduce the controversial practice known as flaring - the wasteful burning of extracted natural gas that can't be delivered to processing plants."

Ernest Scheyder reports for Reuters November 11, 2013. [2]