Pipelines, CBR, Wind, More Wind, And All That Jazz; New Pipeline That Will Move 100,000 BOPD -- The Bakken Continues To Boom -- September 5, 2016

I'm not sure this pipeline will even have a name. If not, my suggestion: The Alexander Connector. Some data points from The Williston Herald:

• Tesoro
• 3.6 miles long
• 8 inches in diameter
• $6.8 million
• origin: the existing Break-Out Tank site six (6) miles north of Alexander
• terminus: the NST Express Alexander Facility

But then this: the NST Express Alexander Facility:

• $60 - $80 million project 
• nine (9) miles northwest of Alexander
• three above-ground storage tanks, each 50,000 bbls
• a pump station; a pig launcher
• 100,000-bopd pipeline ties into the NorthStar facility in Fairview -- update at The Bismarck Tribune -- 23 miles long, 12-inch pipeline;
• timeline: on track to be operational by November, 2016 (this year)
• permit was sought one year ago

NorthStar Transloading, Fairview, on the state line

• "a bit slow" with the downturn
• will improve with the completion of the NST Express Alexander Facility
• fracking sand offsets loss of crude oil business
• 20 miles of track
• could squeeze in 10 unit trains at once

For newbies: the Bakken may have slowed down, and major East Coast media outlets talk about a bust in the US shale industry, but when they are still putting in $75 million infrastructure facilities it speaks volumes about the future of the Bakken.

Remember: the EIA forecasts the Bakken to produce 2 million bopd through 2040 without much decline between 2030 and 2040.

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Stony Creek Rail Yard

Mentioned in same story linked above.

Stony Creek Rail Yard is currently handling about 1,000 wind tower components for two projects in North Dakota. 

This is the incredible rail yard build by Red River Supply just east of Williston (if not inside city limits, very, very close; just off State Highway 1804)

Great website.  When I visit the Bakken, this will be one of my top spots to visit. More on the Stony Creek Rail Yard here. About a year ago:

Red River Supply has announced the immediate addition of industrial rail space to Williston, something that had been in high demand and short in supply. Red River is now offering 25 acres of shovel-ready, 5-to-10-acre parcels at its Stony Creek Railyard southeast of Williston and will be adding another 100-plus acres of industrial rail access through 2020. The final development will be 180 acres and include an industrial park.

I think I recall hearing that one of the wind farms being supported by Red River Supply is the Lindahl Wind Farm, a 75-turbine farm in northeast Williams County, four miles north of Tioga, developed by Enel Green Power North America.  The 2014 annual report for Enel Green Power shows just how international this company is. From wiki:

Enel Green Power S.p.A. is an Italian multinational renewable-energy corporation, headquartered in Rome. The company was formed as a subsidiary of the power generation firm Enel in December 2008, grouping its global renewable energy interests.

Enel Green Power has operations in over 16 countries across Europe, North America and South America. It generates energy from hydroelectricity, wind, solar power, geothermal electricity, biomass and Incineration sources. At the end of September 2011, the company's total worldwide installed capacity was 6,490 MW, which it intends to increase to 10,400 MW by 2015.

I do not know the status of the mega-wind farm proposed for Ward County, the Harland Wind Farm. The last update at wiki was in 2014.

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Putting Things Into Perspective

Philae found!

Less than a month before the end of the mission, Rosetta’s high-resolution camera has revealed the Philae lander wedged into a dark crack on Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko.

The images were taken on 2 September by the OSIRIS narrow-angle camera as the orbiter came within 2.7 km of the surface and clearly show the main body of the lander, along with two of its three legs.

The images also provide proof of Philae’s orientation, making it clear why establishing communications was so difficult following its landing on 12 November 2014.

Rosetta is "Europe's comet chaser." Its mission is about to come to an end.