Overview
- President Trump, who signed the presidential permit Thursday, authorized border facilities for a roughly 650-mile line designed to move up to 550,000 barrels of crude per day from the Montana border into Wyoming.
- The company says the route avoids Native American reservations and runs largely along existing corridors and private land, with the line linking at Guernsey to other U.S. pipelines rather than to a final refining market.
- The project still needs multiple federal and state approvals, with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management expecting a final environmental impact statement in spring 2027 before a decision.
- Environmental and Indigenous groups immediately vowed to challenge the permit in court over spill and climate risks, citing True Companies’ past Yellowstone, Little Missouri, and Wyoming spills and a $12.5 million penalty, while Bridger points to new AI leak detection and deeper river bores under major waterways.
- Supporters in Alberta praised a new outlet for Canadian oil, yet industry analysts warned that producer commitments and added links to hubs like Cushing, Patoka, or the Gulf Coast remain uncertain as Bridger targets construction in fall 2027 and completion in late 2028 or early 2029.