The Mandan Tesoro Refinery intends to increase diesel production in order to support the growing regional demand for diesel fuel. The company will expand its Distillate Desulferization Unit by 5000 barrels of diesel per day, increasing the total number of barrels per day to 22,000. Headquartered in San Antonio, the company expects the project to cost USD 35 million, with completion scheduled for the last three months of 2013. It has already secured the required permits for the project. The Mandan facility is the only refinery in North Dakota and its crude is supplied via pipelines from the Williston Basin in Montana and in North Dakota. Tesoro acquired the refinery from BP in 2001. Ron Ness, president of the North Dakota Petroleum Council, said the announcement is “fantastic news” for consumers and suppliers of diesel fuel. He referred to is a win-win situation, as there will be more homemade diesel fuel for all of North Dakota. In March, the corporation announced plans to increase crude production by 10,000 per day. It remains on schedule to complete that expansion by June 2012.
