Proposed Natural Gas Pipeline Would Run Under Missouri River

Kinder Morgan wants to build a pipeline under the Missouri River in North Dakota to connect its existing Brogger compressor station to an existing natural gas gathering system.

The Bakken Missouri River Crossing Project plans to connect the compressor station located in Williams County, to a Kinder Morgan natural gas gathering system located in McKenzie County. The project will include the installation of approximately 10 mi. of 16-in. diameter pipeline between the Brogger compressor station and Kinder Morgan natural gas gathering system.

The $30 million project will capture approximately 130 million cubic feet per day of natural gas that would otherwise by flared into the atmosphere. The company said the natural gas is being flared because there is a lack of pipeline availability. Not constructing the proposed pipeline, or the no action alternative, would likely result in future proposals and development of other projects as the need to capture natural gas and transport it to a processing plant for market use will still exist, the company said.

A portion of the route would cross beneath the Missouri River and the Lake Sakakawea Reservoir for approximately 2.5 mi. using horizontal directional drilling (HDD) techniques to minimize disturbances to the area, the company said. Kinder Morgan said it will install the new pipeline 140 feet below the bottom of the reservoir. The drilling areas will be matted allowing for an additional layer of protection from soil or water contamination. Kinder Morgan will implement its Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures (SPPC Plan) and ESC Plan) to prevent and respond to releases of fuels and other hazardous substances during construction, including measures for cleanup, documentation, and reporting of spills. Implementation of the SPCC Plan will minimize and mitigate soil, surface water, and groundwater impacts, according to the company.

The proposal is being reviewed by several governmental agencies. With construction planned for the second quarter of 2019, the project is expected to be in service by the fourth quarter of that year, the company said.