Page 10 ■ Thursday, February 23, 2012


Santorum in oil country Continued from page 1


everything possible to crush energy pro- duction in this country,” Santorum said, calling concerns about pollution and other environmental harm scare tactics and the “politicization of science.” Obama’s defenders, such as the League


of Conservation Voters, say Santorum’s views are “far out of the mainstream” and indicate they would pounce if he’s the GOP nominee. “He’s providing the most extreme


view of the oil industry,” said Navin Nayak, who oversee the league’s political efforts. But Santorum’s message resonates


with Republican audiences as well as industry executives capable of writ- ing those big campaign checks. And, if there’s one thing Santorum needs now that polls show him running neck and neck with chief GOP competitor Mitt Romney, it’s money. As Santorum toured the North Da-


tries. North Dakota drillers produced a record 152.9 million barrels of crude in 2011, up nearly 40 million barrels from the previous record set a year earlier, ac- cording to state regulators. The energy and natural resource sec-


BAKKEN NEWS


tors are fertile for Republican candidates. Four years ago, 60 percent of the $12.2 million donated from that sector went to GOP presidential candidates, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. So far this campaign, those givers


kota oil patch and a nearby “man camp” — a compound for 1,200 oil workers who fl ocked to the region for the prom- ise of a steady paycheck — top industry offi cials were close by. Ron Ness, president of the North


Dakota Petroleum Council, which rep- resents 200 companies, called Santorum “the right guy at the right time” and someone the energy sector could rally behind. “He completely gets energy,” Ness


said. Tioga is in the heart of North Dako-


ta’s burgeoning oil industry. The self- touted “Oil Capital of North Dakota” is where crude was fi rst discovered in the state 60 years ago and is now inextricably linked to the oil and natural gas indus-


are slanted even more in the GOP’s di- rection though the lead recipient, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, is no longer in the race. Romney has received the next highest amount from that sector, slightly more than $1 million through the end of 2011, according to the nonprofi t campaign watchdog’s analysis of employers of do- nors giving more than $200 apiece. Santorum had pulled in barely $34,000 at last check. Santorum ended his visit to North


Dakota by telling hundreds of support- ers in Fargo that the state’s March caucus will play a key role in the primary. He told the crowd in Fargo on the


night of Feb. 15 that North Dakota has more delegates than many larger states and gets “more bang for its buck.” Santorum wrapped up his 80-minute


Fargo speech by holding up jerseys from the state’s two major universities, includ- ing a University of North Dakota hockey jersey with the controversial Fighting Sioux logo. Residents will vote in June whether to restore a state law requiring UND to keep the logo. Said Santorum: “I kind of like that logo. What do you think?”


Associated Press


TOP: Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum works the crowd at Tioga High School on Feb. 15 in Tioga. ABOVE: Santorum meets with business leaders on Feb. 15 in Tioga.


Col. company proposes oil pipeline in North Dakota


By JAMES MacPHERSON Associated Press


BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A Colo-


rado company is seeking shipping commitments from oil producers to use a proposed pipeline that would move 150,000 barrels of crude daily from western North Dakota’s booming oil patch to a pipeline hub in northern Minnesota. Durango-based Saddle Butte Pipe-


line LLC said oil shippers have until March 16 to solicit interest in the 450- mile pipeline from Alexander, in McK- enzine County, to Clearbrook, Minn. “We don’t know what the response is going to be,” Greg Ward, a company


vice president, said Feb. 16. “Commit- ments typically come in on the last day of the open season.” If suffi cient commitments are ob-


tained, the company will then seek federal and state regulatory approval. Ward said the pipeline could be run- ning late next year. North Dakota was pumping a re-


cord 534,000 barrels daily in Decem- ber, the latest fi gures available. State and industry offi cials say North Dako- ta’s daily production rate is expected to surpass those of California and Alaska within a year, trailing only Texas. Justin Kringstad, director of the


North Dakota Pipeline Authority, said the proposed pipeline would add ca-


pacity and expand the market of re- gional oil drillers. North Dakota has only one oil re-


fi nery, the Tesoro Corp. plant near Mandan. “This project is being put together


to meet the need of growing North Dakota production levels,” Kringstad said. “We’re expecting North Dakota production to increase over the next 10 to 15 years.” The project would be built by High


Prairie Pipeline LLC, a subsidiary of Saddle Butte. Ward said the company has not estimated a cost on the pro- posed High Prairie Pipeline. “We have not put a number out there because it’s so preliminary,” he


said.


The route for the 16-inch diameter pipeline would run due east from west- ern North Dakota to the pipeline hub in Clearbrook, Ward said. “It’s pretty much a straight-line


shot,” Ward said. Ninety percent of the pipeline’s route would follow existing utility and roadway corridors, “mini- mizing the pipeline’s footprint,” he said.


The pipeline also would have a 17- mile spur in McKenzie County and an 8-mile spur in Mountrail County. Ward said the project would em-


ploy about 2,500 people during its six- month construction phase.


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