An official with Enbridge Pipeline says work on the North Dakota portion of the Sandpiper pipeline will start soon.
The pipeline will run from Tioga to Wisconsin – and will carry 225,000 barrels of Bakken crude. Its corridor is roughly parallel to US Highway Two in North Dakota.
"In North Dakota, we're planning on starting facility construction in the upcoming month or two," said Bob Steede, Enbridge's regional director in North Dakota. "We're making preparations to do that, while we're going through the regulatory process in Minnesota and Wisconsin."
Steede says it may be sometime after the first of the year before the regulatory review is completed in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Concerns have been raised about the proposed route of the pipeline in those two states.
"We're hearing it loud and clear," said Steede. "We do put a lot of effort into routing a pipeline by using existing corridors, either ours of other companies'. We really try to find the best route that mitigates environmental concerns, as well as those of farmers and other landowners. We'll see where it ends up."
Enbridge is hoping the Sandpiper pipeline will be in service by March 2016.
