New Rail Loading Facility | Video

Rene Thibault | 3/18/2013

Until more pipelines are built, railroad is the most efficient way to ship Bakken crude oil out of the state. Pipelines safest way to transport crude oil, but because of geography, they aren`t easy to build and can be very costly.

“A pipeline going west over the Rockies is going to be economically infeasible, so rail is the way to go,” said Charlie Roehm, a rail supervisor for Enbridge Pipelines.

That was the thinking of Enbridge Pipelines. Today they unveiled a new $160 million rail loading facility. It`s a much more efficient way for North Dakota oil companies to ship crude oil across the nation.

“This facility is the 1st one of its kind. The Berthold rail facility allows producers that additional export capacity, it allows them to reach different refineries, and it’s a benefit to Enbridge as well because we can get what our shippers need,” added Katie Haarsager, Enbridge’s Community Relations Advisor.

“We`re the first one to have a complete gathering system attached to our rail facility, by doing that we have a tremendous amount of oil that we can gather over a very large distance,” stated Roehm.

The Berthold site has the capacity to fill and send out eight trains per week, or ship 80,000 barrels per day. All of that oil comes straight from their pipeline, which saves time and money for their customers.

Roehm added, “It shortens their trips to the different sites along the pipeline, and that`s why this is unique, our pipeline gathering system is used as well as your rail system.”

“These facilities are important to the state because a lot of our Bakken crude needs to be delivered to refineries, they need to get the best dollar for their barrel, and the rail facilities are allowing that,” stated Haarsager.

There are six companies contracted to use the Berthold rail loading facility. But that number is sure to rise as more North Dakota oil companies look for efficient way to get their oil to refineries across the country.

The first train to utilize the new Berthold loading facility was loaded earlier today, and will be sent out Wednesday.

COMMENT ON THIS STORY

BACK TO NEWS | BACK TO MINOT STORIES