News Post
Proposed oil refinery near Devils Lake would produce 20,000 barrels per day
A Canadian energy company unveiled plans Monday for a $200 million, 20,000-barrel-a-day clean fuels oil refinery that could be built near Devils Lake.
At a standing-room only meeting held Monday at Lake Region State College, residents turned out to listen to officials from Eagles Ledge Energy, based in Vancouver, B.C., discuss details of the refinery.
In a question and answer session following the presentation, residents sounded off with a number seeming in favor of the project.
“I look forward to it,” resident Angela Mikkelson said. “I think it’s a great thing for Devils Lake, for our schools, our health care, our businesses that are already in town, restaurants, hotels. It’s going to do a lot for our community.”
Others weren’t convinced quite yet.
“I think they did a great job with their presentation, but I’m not a 110 percent on board yet with the oil refinery,” resident Mary Lundy said.
Officials say the proposed American Dakota Refinery could be open by 2017.
If it proceeds as planned, it would employ about 100 people and could create as many as 400 spinoff jobs, according to Rachel Lindstrom, executive director of Forward Devils Lake, the regional economic development group.
The proposed refinery would process oil from the Bakken Oil Patch of western North Dakota into low-sulfur diesel fuel, which would be converted to off-road diesel fuel, which is used in farm and construction equipment and a variety of other products.
The refinery would be similar to one being built in Dickinson.
The Devils Lake City Commission recently approved and signed a letter of support to back the proposal. However, Mayor Dick Johnson said the city has made no financial commitment to the project.
“There are a lot of questions that have to be answered,” he said, adding that he sees no need for a public vote on the issue. He said the public will have several opportunities to review and discuss the project through hearings for land annexation, land zoning and various permits.
The statement was in response to a weekend report that a local group, the Devils Lake Oil Refinery Citizens, is pushing for an election to decide if the community should move forward with the project.
The company, which has secured more than 350 acres of land about two miles northwest of the city of Devils Lake, plans to file its application with the state by January, “upon the anticipated receipt of both positive due diligence and support from the Devils Lake community,” according to a company statement.
-By Kevin Bonham / Forum News Service
For subscriptions or a demo:
Sam Hassaniyeh
Subscription Executive
Phone: +44 203 4092242
For questions or to give feedback:
Thad Pittman
Senior Researcher
Phone: +1 (713) 525-4605
Download our brochure today!
Project News