OIL: Refinery for Williston

Deep in the Williston Basin at Mandan, N. Dak. last week, Standard Oil of Indiana started production at the basin’s first oil refinery, a $30 million giant that was as welcome to North Dakota as the first railroad. At capacity, Standard Oil’s refinery will crack 30,000 bbls. of crude oil a day, give the Williston Basin its first local outlet for its oil. Though the basin holds one of the biggest oil pools in the U.S., its development has been hampered by lack of means to get the oil to market. The 445 wells already producing in the U.S. portion of the basin have never flowed at more than 15,000 bbls. a day. With the new refinery, production can be doubled and the products sent through Standard’s pipeline to the Midwest.