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Article and Pholos by Kathleen "Kalhye" Spilman, Keitu Engineers & Consullonts, Im., North Dakota Stale Coordinator for TRANSCAER®.

Donna’s Flight: North Dakota Bakken Crude Oil Patches Up-Close

HOW CAN someone like Donna Lepik, Staff Executive of TRANSCAER® whose life is overflowing with work assignments best gain an understanding of North Dakota's oil potch?

State TRANSCAER® Coordinator for North Dakota Kathye Spilman had the answer. An instrument tated airaaft pilot herself, she called upon Double M Helicopters and owner Monte Meyer. Deporting KBIS (i.e. Bismarck, ND airport) with "four souls on board," the Bell 206 helicopter N38HH ferried the group west to see some of the largest "crude by raił" loading facilities in the nation.

North Dakota has 11 railports thot each can load ot least unit-train (i.e. 100 raił cars) a day. Four facilities can load morę than a unit-train a day. The largest facility, Bakken Oil Express (BOE) just west of Dickinson, has a 200,000 barrel per day capacity.

Dakota Prairie Refining, a 20,000 barrel per day "topping" refineiy is almost adjacent to the BOE facility. The refinery is the first new refinery built in 3S years, and will help supply the diesel fuel necessary to meet the demand of over 180 oil drilling rigs now opeiating in the State. And no trip would be complete without a visit to o multi-well pad with 15 pumping units and ossociated tankage.

Ali work and no play is not tolerated on such trips. The 355-mile journey also induded tourist attroctions like New Salem Sue (the world's largest Holstein cow) and Garrison Dam (the world's fifth largest eorthen dam). However, the trip highlight was view by air of the Uttle Missouri River valley, which showed off some of the best scenie vistas the State has to offer. ■

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