Bismarck, N.D., Belfield, N.D

– A new oil refinery at Belfield, N.D. has cleared its last regulatory hurdle and construction is expected to start very soon.

On June 13, Meridian Energy Group, Inc., announced that the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) air quality division has issued the permit to construct (PTC) for the Davis Refinery at Belfield. The issuance of the PTC by the NDDoH comes 18 months after the initial application was filed by Meridian and is based on a thorough review of the Davis Refinery application documents, and a full three-month review of comments received during a 45-day public comment period.

This marks the first time that a full-conversion refinery of this size and complexity has been reviewed and approved as a “synthetic minor source.” Meridian said in a release that securing this classification reflects its innovative design, and dedication to attain the lowest achievable emission rates ever seen in a full-conversion oil refinery. Now that the final PTC has been issued, Meridian will proceed with detailed design, engineering, procurement and construction of the Davis Refinery.

A Meridian spokesperson told Pipeline News on June 22 that “Meridian will look to break ground on the Davis Refinery in the next two weeks.”

“We fully appreciate the thorough and meticulous review performed by the NDDoH, which held us accountable at every phase of the review process,” said Meridian CEO William Prentice. “Meridian’s design efforts, which included modifications and improvements made as a result of their rigorous review, have ensured that the Davis Refinery will operate in full compliance with the law, and in a manner that is responsive to the concerns of the local community. The Davis Refinery will indeed be the cleanest refinery on the planet when completed.

“Prentice then added, “Publication of this final permit validates the enormous amount of work performed by the entire team and the Davis PTC also represents the culmination of the tireless efforts of the NDDoH staff. Meridian and its team utilized the current limits of technical innovation throughout this process, and never stopped seeking opportunities to make the Davis Refinery as clean as it could possibly be. We hope Davis becomes the new blueprint for all refinery projects that follow it.”

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