Major pipeline company, Enbridge, recently announced plans to build a Bakken oil pipeline crossing from one side of Lake Sakakawea to the other, but will need an environmental go ahead from several federal agencies before it can be built.
Enbridge, a Canadian pipeline company, is already a major transporter of North Dakota oil. The pipeline would be built 36 miles east of Watford City, boring under the lake, to a point 9 miles southeast of Tioga. From there oil would go into a second east-west pipeline Enbridge is building alongside its original line over to Berthold and eventually to a distribution hub point in Clearwater, MN.
The request will be considered by state and federal regulators. If approved, Enbridge would like to have the pipeline operating by the end of 2013. It would cost $136 million to build, and would be capable of carrying up to 100,000 barrels of oil a day.
Before they can build the line across the lake, the company must clear an Environmental Assessment being conducted now by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
About three miles of federal land are involved in the proposal therefore BLM will have a large part in the permitting of the pipeline.
The U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are cooperating with the environmental document and pipeline permitting process.
The Enbridge line is similar to a recently commissioned Four Bears line, which is expected to remove a great amount of trucks traveling every day on North Dakota Highways 22 and 85. Pipelines would potentially help to make roadways safer by decreasing truck traffic.
Lake crossings are a controversial proposal so the agencies will need to determine if they are a good idea. Newer engineering methods have improved the safety of pipelines in water and wetlands.
The BLM will look at the potential for oil spills, the effect of drilling under Lake Sakakawea, impact on plants, wildlife, cultural and historic sites, and how the construction will affect the local communities.
There are currently a few pipelines across Lake Sakakawea. Tesoro and Enbridge, at the far west end of its east-west line, cross with crude oil lines; WBI and Northern Border cross with natural gas lines; and Dakota Gasification Co. crosses with carbon dioxide.
BLM is taking public comments on Enbridge’s proposed Sanish line until Feb. 29. Lowell Hassler is the BLM’s project manager in its Dickinson office. http://www.blm.gov/mt/st/en.html.
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