Jill Schramm/MDN Ward County has an option on this Halliburton property in east Minot, just north of U.S. Highway 2.

Ward County has taken an option on an oil company’s former property in east Minot for use as a new highway department complex.

The Ward County Commission adopted a purchase agreement Tuesday with Halliburton to acquire the company’s land and buildings in a Minot industrial park.

The county’s offer of $1.75 million is below the appraised value and below what the county might pay to construct a similar facility, according to Dana Larsen, highway engineer. Haliburton is open to the offer but the county has 45 days to inspect the property before finalizing a sale. The property will be inspected by a third party.

The Ward County Highway Department experienced cost savings in the past year from which it will pay for the purchase. The savings came in unfilled positions and higher gas tax collections than expected.

Larsen said the county’s current highway department sits on just 5.5 usable acres in a section of town surrounded by other occupied properties, including residences. The Halliburton facility, built in 2012, is more isolated, with easy access to U.S. Highway 2.

The county’s existing property includes a shop moved in during the 1940s and another built in the 1960s. Storage space is similar at the Halliburton facility but its shop offers 50% more space with greater height to accommodate equipment, Larsen said.

The county discovered the availability of the Halliburton property during the tax equalization process when the company sought a valuation adjustment. The company suspended its Minot operations in 2015 after oil activity slowed.

The property includes just over 37 acres and had been listed on the market for $3 million. The city’s assessed value was over $6.68 million.

Should a sale be finalized, Ward County plans to sell its existing highway department property at 900 13th St. SE, which is valued at about $1.5 million.