North Dakota Mineral Resources director Lynn Helms said he's on a "50-50" confidence level of the state attracting a petrochemical plant.
Helms was part of a delegation from North Dakota that looked at petrochemical facilities in Alberta.
"There are at least three pet-chem processors in Alberta that have expressed interest in North Dakota," Helms said. "It's not a one-off -- there isn't just a single company we're pursuing that it's a make-or-break. That increases the confidence level."
One of the companies is reportedly Dow Chemical.
Another member of that delegation – Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner (R-Dickinson) – said such a plant would help lower the amount of natural gas that is flared in the Bakken.
"Over and above flaring reduction, it would be a true value-added, enormous job-add industry for the state of North Dakota," Helms said.
The 2019 Legislature passed a bill to give petrochemical companies a break on sales tax used for construction materials to build a plant.