Meridian Energy Group's proposed 49,500 b/d Davis refinery in Belfield, N.D., is expected to be completed by late 2026, according to Chief Executive William Prentice.

"We are currently targeting mechanical completion in late 2026, but the final schedule will depend upon schedule commitments from major equipment suppliers and module fabricators in [the] upcoming procurement cycle," Prentice told OPIS in an email.

In a Tuesday press release, Meridian said its refinery in southeast North Dakota has obtained "all the requisite permits." The company said it has started buying major equipment and plans to resume field construction work this summer.

In addition, Meridian said about 4,000 b/d, or up to 20%, of the capacity of the diesel hydrotreater can be allocated to process vegetable oil. The company said that would allow the refinery to satisfy its obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard program and offset its Scope 1 carbon emissions, those directly emitted by the facility.

OPIS reported earlier that construction of the refinery was delayed after environmental groups in 2018 sued North Dakota's environmental regulator over the air permit it granted to Meridian. The groups argued that the refinery, which is designed to run Bakken crude, should be classified as a major source of pollution.

Musket in 2021 entered a long-term agreement to handle most of the transportation fuels produced at the Davis facility. At that time, Musket said it expected to move about 8.57 million bbl of diesel and 6.7 million bbl of gasoline annually or about 90% of the refinery's total output. Musket is the supply, trading and logistics affiliate of Love's Travel Stops.

Founded in 2013, Meridian has also proposed new refinery projects in other locations, including the Permian Basin of West Texas and Cushing, Okla.


This content was created by Oil Price Information Service, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. OPIS is run independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.


--Reporting by Frank Tang, ftang@opsinet.com; Editing by Jeff Barber, jbarber@opisnet.com


(END) Dow Jones Newswires

04-17-24 1525ET