(by Paul Vivian and Rick Preckel, www.prestonpipe.com) Market Monitor – Bridger Pipeline Expansion, LLC has filed plans with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality for a new 36-inch crude oil transmission line that would move Canadian crude roughly 645 miles south to Guernsey, Wyoming. Given the proposed border origin point, the only infrastructure capable of supplying that scale of incremental volume is the partially constructed Keystone XL system in Alberta, which has remained idle since 2021. Segments of 36-inch pipe, along with the Hardisty-area terminal and two pump stations, are already in place. In effect, it is a rethinking of the Keystone XL pipeline. More than half of the Montana segment and all of Wyoming would parallel existing rights-of-way. That approach lowers construction costs and reduces environmental and regulatory risk in a landscape where permitting timelines can make or break project economics. Operationally, the line could interconnect with Bridger’s existing systems at Four Mile and Baker, allowing some Bakken light crude to enter the stream. Although Canadian barrels appear to be the primary target, incremental Bakken receipts would add throughput stability and commercial optionality. The pipeline, which would likely require additional segments, would amount to around 450,000 tons of pipe. South Bow Energy, the divested oil arm of TC Energy, has announced that it is considering reviving parts of the Keystone XL line but would be dependent on construction of additional links in the US and a border crossing permit approval by President Trump.
Preston Pipe Report – March 2026
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