North Dakota’s Industrial Commission has extended the deadline for pipeline companies to apply for a grant for a natural gas pipeline, which would run from the Bakken to eastern North Dakota.
The deadline is now December 15th.
An August 15th deadline passed with no bids received. But state Pipeline Authority director Justin Kringstad said that doesn’t mean companies aren’t interested.
"The interest level today is just as strong as it was just about a year ago, when this concept was put forward," Kringstad said.
Kringstad said there are challenges – including construction inflation. And he said it takes a number of “players” to make something like this happen.
"You have to have upstream players on the supply side," Kringstad said. "You have to work with downstream players."
Kringstad said the upstream and downstream players may have different timelines and needs.
"So it's coordinating who needs gas, when and where, who has gas, when and where," Kringstad said. "And those things take sometimes years to come together."
Kringstad said the economic potential is still there, if the pipeline is built.
"There's a lot of large ag-processing potential," Kringstad said. "There's a lot of energy potential we're seeing pop up, whether it's energy generation or other uses."
Kringstad said there are other potential users.
"The timing is the most challenging component," Kringstad said.
The 2021 Legislature set aside $150 million for the project. $10 million of that will be used for a connection to Grand Forks from the Viking Pipeline in Minnesota.
