The WSJ has a good article on the increased use of railroads to move production from the Bakken (which we've reported on previously): "North Dakota's output has grown in the last three years from a trickle to nearly 450,000 barrels a day—trailing only Texas, Alaska and California—and could double by the middle of the decade, according to analyst and industry projections. But pipelines in the region already are operating at capacity, and major new lines aren't expected to start going into service until 2013. *** In response, companies are building rail terminals. Rail terminals can be developed quickly, giving them an advantage for now over pipelines. The North Dakota Pipeline Authority estimates a doubling in rail-terminal capacity next year alone to more than 700,000 barrels a day."
