Bakken East pipeline explained: route, capacity, timeline and landowner questions

Bakken East is a proposed natural gas transmission pipeline from WBI Energy, a subsidiary of MDU Resources, running about 350 miles from McKenzie County in the Bakken to near Fargo. MDU made a positive final investment decision on September 30, 2026. The line is still in federal review: Phase I is targeted for late 2029 and Phase II for late 2030.

Every barrel of Bakken crude comes out of the ground with natural gas attached. For years that associated gas was the Bakken's weak point: when processing plants or pipelines filled up, the gas was flared, and the state's gas capture rules could hold back oil production. In 2026 North Dakota is producing more gas than ever, and the systems that carry it out of the basin are close to full. That is why the Bakken East pipeline has become the most closely watched infrastructure project in the state.

In our overview of new Bakken projects we called gas takeaway the single biggest constraint on Bakken activity. This article goes deeper on the project that does the most to relieve it. It covers the route and counties, the capacity and cost, where the project sits in the federal approval process, how the State of North Dakota is involved, how it compares with the competing pipeline proposals, and the practical questions landowners and service companies are asking.

What is the Bakken East pipeline?

Bakken East is a high-pressure interstate natural gas transmission pipeline proposed by WBI Energy, the pipeline subsidiary of Bismarck-based MDU Resources. It would carry processed natural gas from the Bakken in western North Dakota east across the state to an existing WBI compressor station near Mapleton, just west of Fargo. Along the way it would deliver gas to central North Dakota, the Bismarck area, Jamestown and the Red River Valley.

The North Dakota Pipeline Authority's executive director, Justin Kringstad, has described it as the first direct, large-scale connection between the gas supply in western North Dakota and the demand centers in the central and eastern parts of the state. Until now, most Bakken gas that leaves the basin has moved south or east on interstate lines toward markets outside North Dakota, while much of eastern North Dakota is served by gas that originates elsewhere.

On September 30, 2026, MDU announced that its board had reached a positive final investment decision (FID) after WBI secured customer commitments. An FID is a company decision to fund the project. It is not a regulatory approval. The pipeline still needs a certificate from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) before construction can begin.

Where will the Bakken East pipeline run?

The mainline starts in McKenzie County near Watford City and runs east to the Mapleton area in Cass County. FERC's Notice of Scoping, issued May 5, 2026, lists nine North Dakota counties along the proposed route:

Earlier project descriptions, reported by the North Dakota Monitor in November 2025, described Phase I running from McKenzie County to the Washburn area and Phase II continuing to Mapleton, with planned laterals to the Spiritwood industrial park near Jamestown and to Ellendale, home of a large data center campus. Prairie Public's October 2026 reporting describes Phase I as Watford City to just north of Bismarck. The exact alignment is still being refined in the federal process, so landowners should treat any route map as preliminary until FERC issues its environmental document.

How big is Bakken East, and what will it cost?

MDU's September 30, 2026 announcement put the estimated cost at $2.7 billion to $3.2 billion and the initial design capacity at 1.4 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d), with flexibility to expand as demand grows. The DMR's September 2026 Director's Cut lists the proposal at 1.4 to 1.7 million dekatherms per day. For scale, the state produced about 3.62 Bcf/d of natural gas in July 2026, so Bakken East alone could carry well over a third of today's statewide output.

FERC's May 2026 scoping notice gives the most detailed physical description published so far:

• Mainline: 353.1 miles of new greenfield pipe in 42-inch, 36-inch and 30-inch diameters.
• Laterals: eight new laterals in 30-, 24- and 20-inch diameters, totaling 21.2 miles.
• Compression: three new compressor stations (Beulah, Center and Alliance) and added compression at the existing Spring Creek, Elkhorn Creek and Mapleton stations. MDU's FID release refers to four new stations and work at three existing ones, so the station count may still change.
• Other facilities: 6 receipt stations, 10 delivery stations, 8 interconnect or transfer stations and 28 mainline valves.
• Land: about 8,500 acres disturbed during construction and about 2,700 acres retained for permanent operation.

MDU says it is still evaluating financing, including debt, equity and possible partnerships. No shipper names have been published.

When will Bakken East be built?

The schedule has been consistent since 2025, and the FID keeps it on track. Here is the timeline as reported by the company, the state and FERC:

The most important date for the next year is the formal FERC application. Once WBI files, FERC will prepare an environmental document and accept formal comments and motions to intervene. The company told the North Dakota Monitor in 2025 that it would look to receive its certificate in early 2028, with construction beginning in the second half of 2028.

Why does North Dakota need Bakken East?

The short answer is that gas production keeps rising and takeaway has not kept up. According to the DMR's September 21, 2026 Director's Cut, North Dakota produced 3.621 Bcf/d of natural gas in July 2026, up 1.12% from June, while oil production was 1,156,641 barrels per day. The state reached an all-time high of 20,072 producing wells. Statewide gas capture slipped to 95.3%, and flaring rose to about 173 million cubic feet per day. The DMR attributes most flaring to a lack of pipelines and constraints on existing infrastructure.

North Dakota's gas capture goal is 91%, and the industry is well above it. But Kringstad warned at the 2026 Williston Basin Petroleum Conference that producers "will not allow flaring to ramp up to the levels it was years ago," and that without new takeaway, capital could move to other basins. In other words, gas pipes now decide how many oil wells get drilled.

There is also a demand side. Eastern and central North Dakota are seeing new interest in gas-fired power generation, agricultural processing and data centers. WBI has said its potential customers include utilities, industrial users and data center developers. Bakken East would give those users direct access to North Dakota gas rather than gas routed in from other states.

How is the State of North Dakota involved?

The state's role runs through the North Dakota Industrial Commission (NDIC), which also acts as the North Dakota Pipeline Authority. The 2025 Legislature strengthened the Pipeline Authority's power to purchase pipeline capacity, so the state can act as an anchor shipper and later transfer that capacity to private users.

• August 2025: the NDIC voted unanimously to back WBI's project, choosing it over a competing proposal, with a firm capacity commitment of $50 million per year for 10 years.
• September 30, 2026: after the FID, the Commission directed the Pipeline Authority to execute a precedent agreement to buy capacity equal to about 11% of the project's initial design capacity. (In November 2025, Kringstad had estimated the state's share at 15% to 17% of capacity; the share fell as the design grew.)

The state's stated goals are to support continued gas capture, improve energy reliability and expand access to North Dakota gas in communities that have lacked it. Supporters have also argued, as reported by KFYR in May 2026, that a full gas system could generate more than $1 billion a year in tax revenue and protect thousands of jobs by keeping rigs running. Treat that figure as an advocacy estimate rather than an official forecast.

How does Bakken East compare with the other gas pipelines?

Bakken East is not the only proposal to move Bakken gas east. The DMR tracks three projects:

The projects are not mutually exclusive. Bison XPress is a near-term expansion of existing systems. Bakken East and the Intensity/Rainbow line both target in-state demand, and the Intensity line is closely tied to power generation near Washburn and Coal Creek Station. Whether both large lines get built at full scale depends on how much firm demand develops in central and eastern North Dakota by the end of the decade.

What should landowners along the route know?

Most of the questions we hear about Bakken East come from landowners and farm families along the proposed corridor. FERC's scoping notice and the agency's landowner guidance answer several of them directly:

• Survey permission is not an easement. WBI reported in November 2025 that it had survey permission from 98% of mainline landowners, 93% along the Spiritwood lateral and 53% along the possible Ellendale lateral, but no easements had been signed and the design was not final.
• You are not required to sign. FERC's notice states that WBI may contact landowners to negotiate easements, and that landowners are not required to sign.
• Eminent domain comes with a certificate. If FERC approves the project, the Natural Gas Act gives the company eminent domain authority. If no agreement is reached, the company could start condemnation proceedings in court, where compensation is set under state law. FERC does not oversee eminent domain cases.
• Comments still matter. The scoping comment period closed June 4, 2026, but there will be further opportunities to comment and intervene after WBI files its formal application. FERC's Office of Public Participation (202-502-6595) helps landowners navigate the process, and WBI lists a landowner line at 888-451-1119.
• Issues FERC will study include soils, water resources and wetlands, wildlife, endangered species, cultural resources, land use, air quality and noise, and reliability and safety, plus crossings of navigable rivers, flood control structures and public lands.

Easement terms often matter as much as the price: restoration standards for cropland and drain tile, depth of cover, temporary workspace, access roads, crop-loss payments, future-use restrictions and what happens if the line is later expanded. We are not lawyers, and landowners should get independent legal and appraisal advice before signing anything.

What does Bakken East mean for oilfield service companies and contractors?

A 350-mile, multi-diameter pipeline with new compressor stations is a multi-year construction program. Even though large interstate lines are usually built by specialized mainline contractors, they pull in a long list of regional suppliers and services:

• Aggregate and site work: access roads, laydown yards, compressor and valve-station pads all need rock, gravel and scoria. This is the business our team knows from Kota.
• Water: new pipe is pressure-tested with water before service. Sourcing, transferring and handling that water is the kind of work we have done through Bullrock Water.
• Waste handling: construction, drilling under rivers and roads, and station work generate fluids and solids that need compliant disposal, the field Bullrock worked in.
• Equipment, parts and gaskets: compressor stations, meter stations and interconnects use specialized equipment, flanges and sealing components, the niche served by Raptor Supply and Raptor Gaskets.
• Housing, fuel, trucking and fabrication in towns along the route, from Watford City to Jamestown and Casselton.

Construction itself is planned for 2028–2030, but contracting decisions are typically made well before the first pipe is welded. Service companies that want a role should be building relationships with the developer and its prime contractors during 2027.

Who should pay attention to Bakken East?

Operators and producers

New takeaway reduces the risk that gas constraints cap oil development or force curtailments. Producers should watch which processing plants and receipt points connect to Bakken East and how capacity is allocated, including capacity the state may resell.

Landowners and mineral owners

Surface owners along the route face easement decisions. Mineral owners across the Bakken benefit indirectly: better gas takeaway supports continued drilling and can reduce flaring that affects gas royalties.

Service companies and contractors

Three construction seasons across nine counties mean demand for aggregate, water, waste handling, trucking, fabrication, housing and parts. Early positioning matters.

Developers, utilities and investors

Firm gas in central and eastern North Dakota changes the economics for gas-fired power, ag processing and data centers near Bismarck, Jamestown and Fargo. Anyone evaluating projects in those areas should treat 2029–2030 gas availability as a planning input, while remembering that the pipeline is not yet approved. Nothing here is investment advice.

Project status at a glance

Frequently asked questions

Keep reading

This article is general information about a proposed energy project in North Dakota, based on the sources listed and current as of October 20, 2026. Project routes, costs, capacities and dates can change during regulatory review. It is not investment, legal or financial advice, and nothing here is an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any security. Landowners should seek independent legal advice before signing any easement.