U.S. Authorizes Bridger Petroleum Pipeline in Montana
Executive Office of the President
The executive branch has authorized Bridger Pipeline Expansion LLC to construct and operate a 36-inch diameter pipeline crossing the U.S.-Canada border in Phillips County, Montana.
Widely dubbed "Keystone Light" by industry operators, this specific route was strategically mapped to bypass Native American reservations, aggressively maneuvering around the very litigation traps that paralyzed cross-border infrastructure for the last decade.
This infrastructure facilitates the cross-border transport of crude oil and a wide spectrum of refined petroleum products, ranging from jet fuel and diesel to liquid petroleum gas.
The pipeline is engineered to transport up to 550,000 barrels of heavy Canadian tar sands crude per day, funneling it directly into the massive storage and transit hub in Guernsey, Wyoming.
The permit explicitly excludes natural gas regulated under the Natural Gas Act, ensuring the pipeline's volumetric capacity remains fiercely dedicated to feeding Gulf Coast refineries heavily reliant on liquid fossil fuels.
This authorization immediately enables the Wyoming-based entity to initiate right-of-way acquisitions and advance requisite local permitting processes, establishing the legal framework for physical construction.
Because Bridger plans to lay over 70% of the pipe within existing utility corridors and private lands, the company is positioned to break ground within the year, shocking an energy market previously accustomed to decade-long infrastructure delays.
Operating authority remains strictly conditional upon compliance with U.S. pipeline safety regulations administered by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.
Financial analysts at Reuters project this single approval will spike Canadian crude exports to the U.S. by more than 12%, fundamentally shifting North American supply chain economics and lowering transit costs.
Bridger Pipeline Expansion LLC absorbs all liability for environmental contamination and must grant unrestricted access for federal and state inspections.
This total assumption of liability acts as a corporate firewall, insulating federal taxpayers from disaster costs while ensuring that the financial risk of heavy crude transport remains strictly in the private sector.
A core structural provision allows the federal government to seize and operate the border facilities during national security emergencies, guaranteeing just and fair compensation to the permittee.
Ultimately, this cements the Montana-to-Wyoming corridor as far more than a corporate profit engine; it is a sovereign national security asset designed to weaponize North American energy independence against global market volatility.
