Bridger Pipeline files for 550,000 b/d line along Keystone XL corridor
Bridger Pipeline seeks to revive Keystone XL routing
Bridger Pipeline LLC submitted an application to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality in January 2026 to construct and operate a pipeline with a proposed capacity of 550,000 barrels per day. The planned alignment begins near the international crossing that was central to the earlier Keystone XL debate, which raises the possibility of reusing previously surveyed corridors and permitting work. South Bow Corp. publicly signalled interest in expanding its pipeline network, a move that industry sources say could dovetail with Bridger’s proposal and streamline rights-of-way logistics. Regulators in Montana will now evaluate environmental impacts, state permitting requirements, and potential conflicts with tribal and landowner interests. Market participants are watching for how the proposal could alter crude flows from Alberta, adding optionality to routes that historically funneled product to the Gulf Coast and U.S. Midwest. Environmental groups and some state actors are likely to escalate legal and political opposition quickly, framing the plan as a fossil-fuel infrastructure revival. Proponents argue the line would improve supply chain flexibility and take pressure off rail and truck movements that currently carry heavy volumes. The application’s timing—after years of dormancy around the Keystone XL corridor—reflects shifting commercial calculations driven by capacity tightness, takeaway constraints, and refiners’ feedstock preferences. If approved, construction schedules and interconnection points in Wyoming will determine how swiftly crude can be rerouted and whether existing storage and terminal assets can absorb incremental volumes. The filing reopens policy questions about cross-border energy projects, state-level permitting authority, and how federal environmental reviews will be triggered or avoided. For project financiers, the application signals a new chapter in midstream consolidation and asset recycling where dormant corridors regain commercial value. Expect a months-long regulatory and public-comment process that will shape whether this proposal becomes a substitute, partial reuse, or nonequivalent successor to the canceled Keystone XL project.
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