Phase I of 344-Mile North Dakota Gas Pipeline Advances with Firm Commitments

Phase I covers 136 miles of a planned 344-mile pipeline system announced last year.

(P&GJ) — Intensity Infrastructure Partners and Rainbow Energy Center said firm transportation commitments are now in place to support advancing Phase I of a proposed 36-inch natural gas pipeline in North Dakota, marking a key step toward final development.

The companies said executed precedent agreements provide sufficient backing to move forward with the first phase of the project, which is designed to support rising power generation and industrial demand across the state. Phase I is planned with a design capacity of about 1.1 million Dth/d and is targeted for an early 2029 in-service date.

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The pipeline will source gas from multiple receipt points, including the Northern Border Pipeline, WBI Energy’s transmission and storage network, and direct connections to six Bakken-area natural gas processing plants. The developers said the system will operate without compression fuel surcharges, a design intended to simplify operations and improve tariff transparency for shippers.

Uncommitted capacity under Phase I is expected to support additional gas-fired power generation along the pipeline corridor and at Coal Creek Station, using existing transmission infrastructure and the project’s location to meet future load growth. The 36-inch design allows for throughput increases as demand develops, without requiring duplicative greenfield construction.

“Advancing a phased pipeline with available capacity gives us the flexibility to respond to demand as it materializes, while maintaining the reliability and operational certainty large power users require,” said Stacy Tschider, CEO of Rainbow. “By leveraging established assets like Coal Creek and integrating directly with basin supply and interstate systems, this project is positioned to meet near-term needs while remaining expandable for the next generation of load growth.”

“This coordinated participation across upstream production, natural gas infrastructure, and electric power generation provides a decisive, large-scale energy solution for North Dakota and is exactly how we will meet the state’s growing power and technology-driven demands,” said Jeff Hume, vice chairman of strategic growth initiatives at Continental Resources.

This project represents the first construction phase of a larger pipeline system announced by the developers last year.

The North Dakota pipeline project was first announced in June 2025, when Intensity Infrastructure Partners and Rainbow Energy Center outlined plans for a 344-mile natural gas pipeline designed to move associated gas from the Bakken to central and eastern North Dakota. The project was proposed as a two-phase system aimed at reducing flaring, expanding in-state gas use and supporting long-term power generation and industrial growth.

The 344-mile project will be constructed in two phases:

• Phase I: 136 miles of 36-inch pipe from near Watford City to Washburn, ND, with a capacity of 1.1 million Dth/d.
• Phase II: 208 miles of 30-inch pipe from Washburn to Casselton, ND, with capacity of 430,000 Dth/d and multiple delivery points.

Under the original plan, Phase I consists of 136 miles of 36-inch pipe running from near Watford City to Washburn, North Dakota, with a design capacity of 1.1 million Dth/d—the same segment now being advanced toward construction. A second phase, announced in 2025, would extend the system eastward with 208 miles of 30-inch pipe, adding additional delivery points and capacity to serve future demand. Developers said the phased approach was intended to align infrastructure buildout with market interest and permitting timelines.