North Dakota needs more fuel opportunity

…The testimony revealed that a combination of events came together — a rain/flood in Kansas, a refinery down for planned upgrades and essential maintenance of others created a shortage of product in the central area. Capacity is coming on line and the situation is easing, but supplies of gasoline are still tight and diesel is very tight. Winter- grade diesel is very low and home heating oil is also very low; mild weather so far this fall has kept the shortage from becoming severe.

Here is an interesting twist; North Dakota now produces about 125,000 barrels of crude per day; just under half of that is refined in-state to fuel products; the remainder of the crude and much of the refined product is piped out of the state (amount not specified at the meeting).


During this shortage period from late summer to present, the pipeline terminals at Fargo and Grand Forks have been out of product or severely limited.

As a result, tanker trucks must go to Alexandria, Minn., or further, to wait in line sometimes for 12 hours, to get product and haul it back into ND. This gasoline and diesel product may be the same product produced at Mandan, now being hauled back.

Bismarck Tribune