In a recently announced deal, Energy Transfer Partners sent a clear message to the people of North Dakota and the Upper Midwest in the firmness of their commitment to build the Dakota Access Pipeline. The company bought land in Williams County in order to construct pump houses for the future Dakota Access Pipeline, a “backbone” for the system delivering American energy to market.
Dakota Access is taking a long-term view to the opportunities in the Bakken. ETP spokesperson Vicki Granado was quoted as saying:
We don’t have a crystal ball (…) But those within the industry understand this is a cyclical business. So at some point everyone fully expects the price of oil to fully recover. This certainly has happened in years past. We are preparing to hopefully have a pipeline for the long-term to carry us out of the Bakken.
With the South Dakota PUC approving the pipeline in their state, Dakota Access is confident that all the relevant agencies involved in approving this investment will recognize the steps that the company has taken towards ensuring that the pipeline is built in the safest way possible and with minimal disturbance. Infrastructure investments by companies looking to commit to our region are vital to the continued growth and success of the Upper Midwest.