By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Feb. 20 -- Minnesota Pipe Line Co. (MPL), Rosemount, Minn., received approval from the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission to construct its $300 million MinnCan pipeline project (OGJ Online, Jan. 4, 2006). It will expand MPL's system, which is at capacity, to transport crude from oil sands reserves in Alberta and Saskatchewan to Minnesota over the next decade.
The MinnCan project consists of a 304-mile, 24-in. oil pipeline from Clearbrook, in northwestern Minnesota, to refineries in Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Construction, expected to take 8 months, will begin this summer. The pipeline, which will have a design capacity of 60,000-165,000 b/d, should be fully operational in 2008.
The system will originate at the existing interconnection between MPL's pipeline system and Enbridge Energy's pipeline system at Clearbrook in Clearwater County. It will pass through 13 counties, with the northernmost 119 miles constructed along existing MPL pipeline right-of-way, except for a 7-mile greenfield route around Staples, Minn. Near Cushing, in Morrison County, the route will diverge from the existing pipeline corridor and extend for 176 miles generally west and south of the Twin Cities metropolitan area.
The project terminates at the Flint Hills Resources refinery at Rosemount in Dakota County. The terminus will provide a direct interconnection with the refinery and with the Marathon Petroleum Co. St. Paul Park refinery through existing pipeline facilities.
Two pump stations are planned, one at the Clearbrook station and another at a midpoint pump station in Morrison County near Upsala.
MPL Co. is owned by Marathon Pipe Line LLC, Flint Hills Resources, and TROF Inc.
