Continental mum on options after pipeline plans fall through

Oklahoma City-based Continental Resources Inc. is the largest player in the Bakken field in North Dakota and Montana, where Tulsa-based ONEOK Partners had proposed a crude oil pipeline.

Continental has lobbied for additional infrastructure throughout the area.

ONEOK Partners said Tuesday it has scrapped plans for its proposed Bakken Crude Express Pipeline, citing a lack of sufficient long-tern transportation commitments during its open season.

A Continental spokeswoman declined to comment Tuesday.

Continental previously has said it successfully pushed for an entry port for the Bakken on the proposed Keystone XL pipeline.

“The Keystone XL pipeline is what we hoped would be the relief valve for us,” Jeff Hume, Continental's vice chairman of strategic growth initiatives said at the Southern States Energy Board meeting in September.

“We embraced that early and worked with Trans-Canada to get a tap onto that pipeline. That has been blocked by our federal government at this time, but it will come to fruition.”

For now, Continental has developed rail agreements to move the oil to refineries on the east and west coasts.