HOUSTON, Oct. 29, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Enbridge Energy Partners, L.P. (NYSE:EEP) (the "Partnership") today announced it will proceed with another expansion of the Enbridge North Dakota Pipeline System adding up to 51,000 barrels per day (bpd) of capacity, subject to approval by the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and state regulatory authorities.
The expansion, with an estimated cost of approximately $150 million, will add 40,000 bpd of capacity from the western end of the system to Minot, N.D. and 51,000 bpd of capacity from Minot to Clearbrook, Minn. This will increase total system capacity from 110,000 bpd to 161,000 bpd, with an in-service date of late 2009. Enbridge will file with FERC a cost-of-service-based expansion surcharge that will be added to existing tariff rates to fund the proposed expansion. No long-term volume commitments will be required for existing or new capacity.
This new expansion project is in addition to the existing 30,000 bpd expansion project that is under construction and targeted for completion by the end of 2007.
"We have responded to our customers' transport needs and modified our proposed expansion project. This approach, which still requires shipper support, is designed to benefit regional crude oil explorers, gatherers and producers, as well as refiners, by helping relieve a petroleum transportation bottleneck within the region," observed Brian Johnson, Enbridge North Dakota region manager.
The system gathers crude oil from production areas in western North Dakota and eastern Montana and transports that crude oil to Clearbrook, Minn., where the system interconnects with the Minnesota Pipeline and the Partnership's Lakehead System. From the Lakehead System, shippers can access most of the major crude oil refinery markets along the Great Lakes and in the Midwest.
More information about this Enbridge North Dakota System Phase 6 Expansion is available by contacting:
Chris Martin -or- Brian Johnson Enbridge Energy Company, Inc. Enbridge Pipelines (ND) LLC 1100 Louisiana, Suite 3300 2505 16th Street SW Suite 200 Houston, Texas 77002-5217 Minot, North Dakota 58701 (713) 821-2053 (701) 857-0801 chris.martin@enbridge.com brian.johnson@enbridge.com
ABOUT ENBRIDGE ENERGY PARTNERS
Enbridge Energy Partners, L.P. (www.enbridgepartners.com) owns and operates a diversified portfolio of crude oil and natural gas transportation systems in the United States. Its principal crude oil system is the largest transporter of growing oil production from western Canada. The system's deliveries to refining centers in the U.S. Midwest account for approximately 11 percent of total U.S. oil imports; while deliveries to Ontario, Canada satisfy approximately 60 percent of refinery demand in that region. The Partnership's natural gas gathering, treating, processing and transmission assets, which are principally located onshore in the active U.S. Mid-Continent and Gulf Coast area, deliver more than 2.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas daily. Enbridge Energy Management, L.L.C. (NYSE:EEQ) (www.enbridgemanagement.com) manages the business and affairs of the Partnership and its sole asset is an approximate 14 percent interest in the Partnership. Enbridge Energy Company, Inc., an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Enbridge Inc. of Calgary, Alberta, (www.enbridge.com) is the general partner and holds an approximate 15 percent interest in the Partnership.
LEGAL NOTICE
When used in this news release, words such as "anticipates", "expects", "plans", "will" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions pertaining to factors such as: (1) changes in the demand for, or the supply of, and price trends related to crude oil and natural gas liquids; including the rate of development of the Alberta Oil Sands; (2) changes in or challenges to Enbridge Partners' tariff rates; (3) the effects of competition, including by other pipeline systems; (4) regulatory approvals; and (5) performance of other parties. Reference should also be made to Enbridge Partners' filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recently completed fiscal year, for additional factors that may affect results. These filings are available to the public over the Internet at the SEC's web site (www.sec.gov) and via Enbridge Partners' web site.