WBI Energy Transmission Inc. can begin commercial service of an expansion of its natural gas transportation system in Minnesota and North Dakota that will move supplies for affiliated utility and an ethanol plant.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission authorized the estimated $57.3 million Valley Expansion project Feb. 15 and green-lighted the project Oct. 31 to enter commercial service. The expansion will move about 40 MMcf/d of additional gas supplies for MDU Resources Group Inc.'s Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. and for Tharaldson Ethanol Plant I LLC, which operates an ethanol plant near Casselton, N.D. The two customers entered 10-year binding precedent agreements for firm gas transportation service.
WBI received construction authorization in March ahead of a planned in-service date set for Nov. 1.
The expansion consisted of a 3,000-horsepower electric-driven compressor station in Cass County, N.D., and a new bidirectional 37-mile, 16-inch-diameter pipeline running between an interconnection with Viking Gas Transmission Co. and the compressor station. WBI Energy, part of MDU Resources, increased the maximum allowable operating pressure on a portion of its system. (FERC docket CP17-257)
