April 2010 Vol. 237 No. 4

Projects

Williston Basins Pipeline And Storage Expansions

Williston Basin Interstate Pipeline Company, the wholly owned natural gas transmission pipeline subsidiary of MDU Resources, plans to increase firm deliverability from its existing Baker storage facility in southeastern Montana.

In conjunction with the storage enhancement, Williston Basin announced plans to expand its existing natural gas pipeline system from the Baker storage facility to western North Dakota, where it connects with the Northern Border Pipeline.

The proposed storage enhancement would add up to 125 MMcf/d to existing firm storage deliverability volumes from the Baker storage facility. The storage project will be accomplished by drilling new storage wells, adding compression and replacing and looping existing storage gathering pipelines. The associated pipeline expansion will require new compression as well as looping of existing pipelines between Baker and Northern Border Pipeline. Project cost is in the range of $100-130 million and the targeted in-service date is April 2012.

The Baker storage facility has firm withdrawal capacity of 115 MMcf/d. The proposed enhancement will more than double firm deliverability from the Baker field to 240 MMcf/d.

A binding open season for the Baker storage enhancement and associated pipeline expansion began Feb. 16 and ran through March 18. Open season documents are available at www.wbip.com.