Northern Border Pipeline Co. is testing the shipper interest in a proposed 16-inch diameter, 295 MMcf/d capacity pipeline lateral from the newly expanded Hess Corp. Tioga natural gas processing plant in northwest North Dakota. It is conducting an open season through Nov. 26.

Northern Border on Monday launched a one-month, nonbinding open season on the Bakken Header Supply Lateral Project, which would transport gas from the Bakken processing plant westerly into its main interstate pipeline to Midwest markets in Chicago.

The 64-mile lateral, compression and related facilities would extend westward from the Hess processing plant to where supplies can utilize additional processing facilities. The project is slated to be in service in early to mid-2017, Northern Border said.

Having operated in the Bakken for more than 20 years, Northern Border has grown its receipt capability to about 1.7 Bcf/d and is offering shippers the chance to sell into its mainline interstate gas pipeline or hold transportation capacity. “In either instance they have access to premium netback markets at Ventura and in the Chicago area,” said President Dean Ferguson.

“Bakken Header will expand our footprint in the area and provide increased access to these valuable markets,” Ferguson said. “We support North Dakota’s objective to reduce the amount of flared gas and believe that development of the Bakken Header will add valuable new infrastructure that will help to achieve this goal.”

Additional information on the Bakken Header project is available by contacting Todd Johnson, business development director (832-320-5724, or todd_r_johnson@transcanada.com). Northern Border is a general partnership owned by units of TransCanada and Oneok Partners LP.