WBI Energy has approved the 350-mile Bakken East Pipeline, advancing a $2.7 billion-$3.2 billion project designed to move up to 1.4 Bcf/d of natural gas across North Dakota.
(P&GJ) — WBI Energy has reached a positive final investment decision (FID) on the Bakken East Pipeline, advancing a roughly $3 billion natural gas project that will move Bakken supplies across North Dakota.
Parent company MDU Resources Group said Sept. 30 that its board approved construction of the approximately 350-mile pipeline after WBI Energy secured customer commitments for the project.
The Bakken East Pipeline will have an initial design capacity of 1.4 Bcf/d and run from the Bakken region in western North Dakota to near Fargo in eastern North Dakota. The system is being designed to accommodate additional capacity as demand grows.
The project is estimated to cost between $2.7 billion and $3.2 billion.
“Reaching FID on the Bakken East Pipeline Project marks a significant milestone in our commitment to expanding critical natural gas infrastructure in the region,” MDU Resources President and CEO Nicole A. Kivisto said.
The pipeline is expected to allow Bakken natural gas production to reach customers in central and eastern North Dakota while adding transportation capacity to WBI Energy’s existing system.
Construction is scheduled across the 2028-2030 construction seasons, with the pipeline entering service in two phases. The first phase, extending from the Bakken to central North Dakota, is targeted for completion in late 2029.
The second phase will extend the system to an existing WBI Energy compressor station near Mapleton, North Dakota, with completion targeted for late 2030.
The completed project will also include additions and modifications at three existing WBI Energy compressor stations and construction of four new compressor stations.
The North Dakota Industrial Commission voted unanimously in August 2025 to support the project with a firm capacity commitment of $50 million annually for 10 years.
WBI Energy President Rob Johnson said the company has been developing Bakken East since early 2025.
MDU Resources is evaluating debt and equity financing structures for the project, including potential partnership agreements.
