Alliance Pipeline's Tioga Lateral Is Online & Moving Gas Onto Its Mainline System

Tioga Lateral - Alliance Pipeline

Alliance Pipeline's 80-mile, 12-inch Tioga Lateral pipeline came into service in September and is moving Bakken gas onto the Alliance mainline.

The pipeline was constructed over a period of a little less than a year at a cost of $170 million.

The pipeline adds much needed high btu, wet gas pipeline capacity out of the basin. The lateral has capacity to move ~126 mmcfd from Hess' Tioga Processing Plant to the company's mainline system near the Canadian border.

Read more:Tioga Pipeline Gets Regulatory Approval

The system was originally supported by an agreement with Hess to move 61.5 mmcfd for ten years.

The Alliance system has capacity to move 1.6 Bcf/d of high btu gas out of Western Canada to Chicago.

The Tioga lateral is the second pipeline from the Bakken that ties into the system. As much as ~250 mmcfd can now move into the system through the Tioga Lateral and Pecan Rose Pipeline.

Read the full press release at alliancepipeline.com

SaskEnergy & Mistral Midstream Partner To Build Bakken NGL Plant in Saskatchewan

Vantage Ethane Pipeline Map

SaskEnergy announced the company's subsidiary, Bayhurst Energy Services, has agreed to a joint venture with Mistral Midstream to build a NGL processing plant near Viewfield, Saskatchewan. The plant will separate NGLs from Bakken production.

The facility, or straddle plant, will be located alongside SaskEnergy's natural gas pipeline system. NGLs will be recovered and marketed to commercial and industrial customers, while the natural gas will will be re-injected into the transmission pipeline.

"This project with SaskEnergy provides the opportunity for Mistral Midstream, already a major investor in energy infrastructure in Saskatchewan, to play a unique role in our economy with a facility that develops ethane and other natural gas liquids that are in high demand by the market in Western Canada," said Doug Kelln, CEO of SaskEnergy.

Mistral Energy is also constructing the Vantage Pipeline that will be operational in late 2013. The Vantage Pipeline will transport 40,000-50,000 b/d of ethane from Tioga, ND, to Alberta, Canada. The JV with SaskEnergy in just one more advance in providing midstream solutions in the Bakken.

"As oil and gas producers develop the Bakken play, it is important that the infrastructure that supports this investment in Saskatchewan provides sustainable market access and value to all stakeholders," said Terry Killackey, CEO of Mistral Midstream.

Construction on the plant will begin in 2014 and in-service is expected in early 2015

Read the full press release at saskenergy.com

Oneok's Bakken NGL Pipeline & Stateline Processing Plant Open

Oneok Bakken Investments

Oneok Partners recently announced the opening of two major growth projects in the Bakken. As of April 9, 2013, both the Bakken NGL Pipeline and the Stateline II natural gas processing plant are running. When fully complete, the projects will account for as much as $800 million in investments.

The opening follows a recent announcement of plans to build a $325-360 million Garden Creek III plant. You can read more about the latest expansion in the article Oneok's Bakken Processing Expanding Through Garden Creek III

Bakken NGL Pipeline

The Bakken NGL Pipeline is a $450-550 million, 600-mile pipeline from the Williston Basin to an interconnect with the Overland Pass Pipeline in Colorado. The pipeline has the capacity to move 60,000 b/d of unfractionated NGLs and will ultimately move 135,000 b/d once additional pump stations are installed. The pump station installations will be completed in the third quarter of 2014 and have a price tag of $100 million.

"The Bakken NGL Pipeline is the first pipeline to transport natural gas liquids from the Williston Basin to NGL fractionation and storage infrastructure in the Mid-Continent and Texas Gulf Coast," said Terry K. Spencer, president of ONEOK Partners. "This project and our continued investments in the Williston Basin reflect our commitment to provide producers with the essential NGL infrastructure needed as they continue to develop the Bakken Shale and Three Forks formations."

Stateline II Natural Gas Processing Plant

The Stateline II plant is a $135-150 million, 100 mmcfd processing plant in Western Williams County, ND. The plant represents the fourth of six processing plants planned or in operation. Oneok's processing capacity is now 390 mmcfd and will ultimately grow to 590 mmcfd in the first quarter of 2015.

"The completion of Stateline II, along with our other two plants and associated infrastructure that are operational, will reduce the flaring of natural gas in the region, enabling producers to deliver natural gas to customers and improve the environment," Spencer added.

This leaves only two of the six plants remaining to be completed. The Garden Creek II and III plants are under construction in eastern McKenzie County, ND.

1. Grasslands (90 mmcfd)
2. Garden Creek I (100 mmcfd) online December 2011
3. Stateline I (100 mmcfd) completed September 2012
4. Stateline II (100 mmcfd) expected April 2013
5. Garden Creek II (100 mmcfd) expected completion Q3 2014
6. Garden Creek III (100 mmcfd) expected completion Q1 2015