Intensity, Rainbow Advance Phase I of North Dakota Natural Gas Pipeline

Intensity Infrastructure Partners and Rainbow Energy Center, leveraging firm transportation commitments secured through executed precedent agreements, are moving forward with Phase I of a proposed 36-inch natural gas pipeline in North Dakota, signaling increased confidence in long-term regional demand from power generation and industrial users. The decision builds on a project framework announced in June 2025 and reflects expectations for continued growth tied to data centers, grid reliability requirements, and industrial development across the state.

Phase I of the project is designed for a capacity of about 1.1 million dekatherms per day, with additional capacity available to accommodate future firm transportation demand. The pipeline is expected to enter service in early 2029. According to the companies, the pipeline system will deliver natural gas through multiple receipt points, including the Northern Border Pipeline, WBI Energy’s transmission and storage network, and direct interconnections with six Bakken natural gas processing plants. The configuration is intended to create an integrated supply platform sourcing gas from both the Bakken region and Canada.

The pipeline is designed to operate without compression fuel surcharges, a feature the companies said will simplify operations while improving reliability and tariff transparency for shippers. Uncommitted capacity in Phase I is expected to support incremental gas-fired power generation along the planned corridor, including at Coal Creek Station. The project is designed to leverage existing electric transmission infrastructure, its geographic location, and existing operating assets. The 36-inch diameter allows for future throughput increases without the need for additional greenfield pipeline construction as demand grows.

“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.”

The companies said the project aligns upstream production, natural gas transportation, and power generation infrastructure to address North Dakota’s evolving energy needs.

“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, Continental Resources.

Gas Gathering in North Dakota

In January 2025, Hiland Partners Holdings obtained a natural gas gathering and processing system from Outrigger Energy II in North Dakota’s Williston Basin within the Bakken Formation. The $640 million acquisition, closed in Q1 2025, includes:

• A 270 MMcf/d processing facility
• A 104-mile, large-diameter, high-pressure rich gas gathering header pipeline with 350 MMcf/d of capacity

The natural gas gathering and processing systems are supported by long-term contracts from key customers in the Williston Basin and will connect supplies from the basin to high-demand markets in the northern United States and Canada: Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Canada’s Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan provinces.