James MacPherson

A federal judge in North Dakota on Thursday blocked a new Obama administration rule that would give the federal government jurisdiction over some smaller waterways just hours before it was set to go into effect.

Thirteen states led by North Dakota are asking a federal judge to block a new rule that gives federal authorities jurisdiction over some state waters.

Alaska and North Dakota — which once had little more in common than wintry weather and elbow room — have for the past several years been locked in a state sibling rivalry over population numbers and crude oil output.

North Dakota, which just six years ago was the ninth-largest oil-producing state, has passed Alaska to become the second-leading oil-producing state in the nation, trailing only Texas.

North Dakota will likely leapfrog California and may even overtake Alaska in the next year -- far outpacing earlier industry predictions -- to become one of the nation's three biggest oil-producing states, a government regulator said.