New CBR Loading Facility Almost Ready To Start Shipping -- Palermo, ND -- September 21, 2015

On my most recent trip back to the Bakken -- just a week or so ago -- I was surprised at all the activity and all the projects still underway. Many of the projects were just breaking ground. I was surprised because the East Coast media has said the Bakken is dead. Maybe.

And RBN Energy regularly reports that CBR is a dying industry. Maybe.

But this is not a maybe. This is real. Another CBR loading facility is about ready to put out the sign: "Open For Business." KXNET is reporting:

A new rail loading facility is on track to start shipping Bakken crude to the coast this winter. The Phillips 66 terminal near Palermo will be moving by train about 150-thousand barrels of oil a week starting out. The facility was built with expansion in mind and at full operation, the terminal could load two 110-car trains every day.

Jennifer Kleen has more on the project in tonight's Eye on Energy. Linking into the Palermo BNSF mainline, the Phillips 66 rail loading facility will streamline the company's Bakken presence.

Color me confused. I thought the Bakken was dying. I thought CBR was dead.

I can't recall the last time I had to update the "CBR Page." It turns out this was announced about a year ago, that PSX was going to put in a new CBR facility -- and now it's almost reality.

Palermo, ND, is about 10 miles east of Stanley, ND, right on the BNSF rail and just a half-mile or so north of I-98.