As One Oil Pipeline is Protested Three Other Pipelines are Granted Permits

As protestors stop construction on the Dakota Access pipeline three other pipelines were given permits by North Dakota State regulators on August 17, 2016. One of these newly approved pipeline projects would provide some of the Bakken crude expected to travel through the Dakota Access pipeline.

Recently Granted Permits
Plains Terminals North Dakota LLC was granted a permit to build a 3.5 mile, 24 inch diameter pipeline at a cost of $5 million. The pipeline would originate at the Plains Johnson’s Corner Terminal and run to the Dakota Access Pipeline Johnson’s corner Terminal Facility in McKenzie County. It is expected to take two months to complete and construction is scheduled for fall of 2016. The capacity would be 150,000 barrels per day, however, it would only operate at 50,000 barrels per day.

BOE Pipeline LLC also received a permit to build a 41.8 mile, 16 inch diameter crude oil pipeline, which would begin east of Johnson’s Corner in McKenzie County and end at a BOE terminal near Killdeer in Dunn County. The project is estimated to cost $55 million, the capacity would be 165,000 barrels of oil per day and construction is expected to begin in spring of 2017 and be completed by fall of 2017. This pipeline would have to bore 20 – 60 feet underneath the Little Missouri River along the route.

A natural gas liquids pipeline submitted by Oneok Bakken Pipeline LLC was also approved on August 17. This natural gas liquids (NGL) pipeline will be a 14.4 mile, 16 inch diameter pipeline called the Garden Creek Loop NGL Pipeline project. This is a loop pipeline that is a shorter segment that runs parallel with an existing pipeline to reduce pressure and increase capacity. This project would parallel the existing 10 inch diameter Garden Creek pipeline. Increasing capacity from 74,000 barrels per day of NGLs to 93,000 barrels per day of NGLs. Construction is planned for 2017. All three of these pipelines would be monitored from a remote control center.

Source: Paul Thares, South Dakota State University