A new oil refinery near Dickinson is expected to begin operations within three months, but officials don't expect it to stabilize the price of diesel fuel during harvest.
The Dakota Prairie Refinery is expected to produce nearly 300,000 gallons of diesel fuel each day. It will be sold locally, but MDU Resources Group spokesman Rick Matteson says that the amount is "a drop in the bucket" compared to the demand.
North Dakota State University Assistant Professor David Ripplinger also says the refinery will have little to no impact on what farmers pay for diesel, though he says it might help ease supply disruptions.
Bismarck-based MDU Resources Group and Indianapolis-based Calumet Specialty Products Partners built the refinery at a cost of more than $400 million.