BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A $30 million natural gas pipeline proposed in northwestern North Dakota would cross under the Missouri River.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is reviewing a permit application from Kinder Morgan for the 10-mile pipeline that would go beneath the river for about 2 1/2 miles in Williams and McKenzie counties, The Bismarck Tribune reported.

The water crossing would be done using horizontal drilling, with the pipe installed at least 140 feet below the bottom of the river's Lake Sakakawea reservoir, according to the company.

"It's the least impactful way to cross any kind of environmentally sensitive area, particularly water bodies, because you never impact the water body itself," said company spokesman Allen Fore.

The pipeline would move natural gas that would otherwise be flared off due to insufficient pipeline capacity. The project would connect Kinder Morgan's existing Brogger compressor station in Williams County to the company's natural gas gathering system in McKenzie County.

Depending on the timing of regulatory approvals, the company aims to start construction next summer with completion set for late 2019.

Kinder Morgan also wants to expand the capacity of the Roosevelt Gas Plant in McKenzie County, in a separate project. The state Public Service Commission has scheduled a public hearing Thursday in Watford City.

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Information from: Bismarck Tribune, http://www.bismarcktribune.com