Study Suggests Western ND Oil Pipeline To Canada

The Pipeline Authority commissioned the study, which was done by two engineering firms and explored three possible pipeline routes. Each began at a point near the north border of the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, between Parshall and New Town.

One proposed route would transport oil to TransCanada's proposed Keystone XL pipeline in far eastern Montana. The other two would transport oil to the company's Keystone line, with linkups in southern Saskatchewan or eastern North Dakota, depending on the route taken.

Building a 12-inch line north to Saskatchewan, where it would meet the Keystone line near Whitewood, "appears to be the preferred alternative," the study said.

The northern route goes through Mountrail and Burke counties, which have gained prominence as oil producers with the ongoing development of the oil-producing Bakken shale rock, the report says.

It could connect to two existing Enbridge oil pipelines, and the route has the most potential for future increases in the pipeline's oil-carrying capacity, the report says.

The report estimates the northern route pipeline would be 169 miles long and cost $199 million to build.