BELLINGHAM (AP) — More Washington state oil refineries are preparing to accept crude oil shipments from North Dakota.
The Bellingham Herald reports that BP’s refinery at Cherry Point and the Phillips 66 refinery in Ferndale, both in the northwestern corner of the state, want to diversify their supply, with oil production in Alaska falling from historic levels.
The Tesoro refinery in Anacortes is already taking delivery of crude from North Dakota’s fracking boom, and the Shell refinery in Anacortes has announced plans to do so.
The BP refinery is building an almost 2-mile-long rail loop to handle the shipments, and Phillips 66 is planning its own rail terminal. Phillips reported to Whatcom County that it expects to handle one oil train every two days, on average.
