A Bismarck-based company is proposing a new natural gas pipeline to bring Bakken gas to eastern North Dakota.
WBI Energy says the “Bakken East” pipeline would be 375 miles long, and would carry 760 million cubic feet of natural gas per day.
WBI is part of MDU Resources Group.
WBI has opened a “non-binding open season” to gauge interest in the new pipeline.
State Pipeline Authority director Justin Kringstad said he’s “very encouraged” by this potential project.
"It has been discussed for many years now," Kringstad said. "Moving our residue natural gas is one of the key challenges North Dakota is facing long-term. So this is one significant step in the right direction."
Kringstad said WBI has been working on this idea for more than a decade.
"They would not have gone out with this, if they hadn't already had some some level of interest from potential users of the gas," Kringstad said. "For any of these projects to move forward, you need to have commitment from the users for a sufficient amount, for a sufficient duration, to make it commercially feasible. So this is the 'action step' now to start solidifying some of those discussions and details."
The proposed route would be from south of Watford City, then east to Beulah and Hazen, then south toward Jamestown, and ending near Fargo.
