Enbridge Energy Partners, L.P. announced that its subsidiary, North Dakota Pipeline Company LLC (NDPC), formerly known as Enbridge Pipelines(North Dakota) LLC, will conduct an open season to solicit commitments from shippers for capacity created by the Sandpiper Project (the "Project"), to be constructed by NDPC. The Project will expand and extend the Bakken takeaway capacity of the system by 225,000 barrels per day (bpd) to a total of 580,000 bpd. It was previously announced that Marathon Petroleum Corporation has been secured as the anchor shipper for the Project.

The expansion will involve construction of a new 375-mile, 24-inch diameter line from Beaver Lodge, N.D., the current terminus of the NDPC system at Clearbrook, Minn., adding 225,000 bpd to the existing 210,000 bpd of capacity. The Project also includes a new 375,000 bpd, 233-mile, 30-inch diameter line to be built extending the NDPC system from Clearbrook to connect with the affiliated Lakehead Pipeline mainline terminal at Superior, Wis. The expected in-service date is the first quarter of 2016, at an estimated cost of $2.6 billion.

Tags: Enbridge Energy Partners