Enbridge launches open season for Bakken, Sanish pipelines

Enbridge Energy Partners (EEP) and Enbridge Income Fund have launched a second open season for the Bakken expansion programme in conjunction with an open season for its Sanish Pipeline in North Dakota, the US.

Enbridge president for liquids pipelines Stephen Wuori said the Bakken and Three Forks formations have catapulted North Dakota into the position of being one of the leading oil producing states in the US.

"Along with this proposed Sanish Pipeline, we have increased the export capacity of our North Dakota system by almost 350% since 2008," Wuori said.

"Sanish provides customers located south of the Missouri river with an entrance to Enbridge’s expanded systems to access a total of 475,000 bpd of capacity out of North Dakota in 2013."

A second open season of the Bakken expansion programme will offer pipeline capacity on Enbridge’s system from Beaver Lodge, North Dakota to Enbridge’s terminal in Cromer, Manitoba.

From there, the pipeline will be connected to Enbridge Mainline System at Cromer, which will provide access to refineries throughout the Upper Midwest, eastern Canada, Mid-Continent and the US Gulf Coast.

The Bakken expansion pogramme, currently under construction, is expected to have an annual average capacity of 145,000 barrels per day after it becomes operational in the first quarter of 2013.

The proposed 36-mile, 12 inch Sanish Pipeline will transport a minimum of 67,000 bpd from Johnson’s Corner into EEP’s existing facilities at Beaver Lodge.

Enbridge expects the two open seasons will allow shippers to secure space for capacity from Johnson’s Corner to Enbridge’s Beaver Lodge and Berthold Stations to Cromer.