• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Erin Brockovich, the activist who defeated a utility giant and inspired a Julia Roberts film, is pushing data centers to be more transparent

2

The Iran conflict has disrupted oil supply. Gulf states are now looking to multi-billion-dollar investments in renewables 

3

Current price of oil as of June 1, 2026

1

Erin Brockovich, the activist who defeated a utility giant and inspired a Julia Roberts film, is pushing data centers to be more transparent

2

The Iran conflict has disrupted oil supply. Gulf states are now looking to multi-billion-dollar investments in renewables 

3

Current price of oil as of June 1, 2026
EnergyKeystone XL

Frankenpipelines: Inside Trump’s bid to resurrect Keystone XL and stretch Dakota Access north

Jordan Blum
By
Jordan Blum
Jordan Blum
Editor, Energy
Down Arrow Button Icon
Jordan Blum
By
Jordan Blum
Jordan Blum
Editor, Energy
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 13, 2026, 3:06 AM ET
Activists display banners referring to the shutting down of existing oil pipelines in the northern United States in Washington, DC on April 1, 2021 one block from the White House. (Photo by Daniel SLIM / AFP) (Photo by DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images)
Activists display banners referring to the shutting down of existing oil pipelines in the northern United States in Washington, DC on April 1, 2021 one block from the White House. (Photo by Daniel SLIM / AFP) (Photo by DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images)Getty Images

Two of the most controversial pipeline projects this century—the failed Keystone XL project and the successful Dakota Access Pipeline—are gaining new life to move Canadian oil into the U.S., backed by cross-border permits quickly approved by President Donald Trump.

Recommended Video

The April permits arrive as oil producers push to move growing Canadian volumes to U.S. refineries, and the war in Iran gives cover to boost the case for greater North American energy self-sufficiency.

“These projects are popping out more so because of what’s happening in Iran,” said Keland Rumsey, crude team lead analyst for East Daley Analytics, arguing the war may help expedite the projects that were already under consideration. “The regulatory environment with the current sitting president obviously helps these projects get movement.”

The defunct Keystone XL (KXL) from Alberta through Nebraska—killed by both the Obama and Biden administrations—is being revived in a slimmer form with a different name.

The combined Prairie Connector and Bridger Pipeline Expansion projects by Canada’s South Bow and True Companies’ Bridger Pipeline would use existing KXL pipe and assets on the Canadian side—partially built before it was last canceled in 2021—meeting a new Bridger pipeline at the Montana border and running 647 miles to the Guernsey, Wyoming interconnection hub.

Likewise, Rumsey said the “notoriously underutilized” Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL)—which stretches from North Dakota to Illinois—would indirectly expand to move Canadian crude by connecting with Calgary-based pipeline giant Enbridge.

Enbridge plans to reverse its Bakken Pipeline (Line 26)—also underutilized—that historically runs north into Canada to instead flow Canadian barrels south to DAPL. Enbridge would build about 80 miles of additional pipelines to connect the two networks.

“These two projects are leveraging more existing infrastructure so that they already have a lot of the rights of ways and permits in order,” Rumsey told Fortune.

In doing so, the goal is to avoid a lot of the environmental and political fights with protestors and Native Americans that ensued with KXL and DAPL.

“You face less resistance when there’s already pipe in the ground,” Rumsey said.

Getty Images

New Keystone light momentum

The companies are pushing ahead with these projects but neither one is a sure thing at this point.

South Bow, which is the oil spinoff of the original KXL developer TransCanada (now TC Energy), said the Prairie Connector process is undergoing an internal review process until the end of May.

The project would move at least 450,000 barrels of Canadian heavy oil sands barrels to the U.S. each day.

South Bow CEO Bevin Wirzba said in his May 8 earnings call that the presidential permit is a “meaningful development,” but that more planning is still needed, especially when multiple companies are involved.

The biggest question mark is connecting the dots from Guernsey, Wyoming to the Cushing, Oklahoma oil hub that ships barrels down to the Gulf Coast refining complexes and export terminals in Texas and Louisiana.

Another pipeline is still needed and the route is unclear—at least publicly. Following the proposed KXL route means addressing permitting challenges the project faced in Nebraska. Rumsey and other analysts suggested following the route of Tallgrass Energy’s Pony Express Pipeline, but both Bridger and Tallgrass denied to Fortune the possibility of a partnership to move the Canadian barrels.

“We are exploring options for the route from Guernsey to either Cushing or to the Gulf Coast,” Bridger spokesman Bill Salvin told Fortune.

For Enbridge, it’s focused on moving as much additional Canadian oil to the U.S. as it can. It has multiple expansions underway of its Mainline network—the largest source of Canadian oil exports to the U.S.—and the Bakken pipeline reversal in North Dakota is part of the overall effort.

“The importance of energy security has become even more evident since the start of the conflict with Iran, and Enbridge is well positioned to deliver North America’s abundant energy resources, both domestically and globally,” Enbridge CEO Greg Ebel said in his May 8 earnings call.

That means teaming up with Dakota Access Pipeline developer Energy Transfer, whose co-CEO, Tom Long, said on his May 5 earnings call that he is hopeful for a final decision within a month or two to move an additional 250,000 of Canadian oil on DAPL.

These projects also would strengthen Canadian reliance on U.S. oil markets at a time when Canada has looked to export more volumes from its West Coast to Asia. In addition to a planned expansion of the Trans Mountain Pipeline—the only network moving barrels east to west—proposals are being discussed for a new oil pipeline to British Columbia.

The newly permitted projects in the U.S. should nullify any need for another oil pipeline to the west, Rumsey said. “I’m very skeptical of another pipeline,” he said. “I don’t think Canada wants a scenario with an expensive overbuild.”

Subscribe to Fortune Gulf Brief. Every Tuesday, this new newsletter will deliver clear-eyed, authoritative intelligence on the deals, decisions, policies, and power shifts shaping one of the world’s most consequential regions, written for the people who need to act on it. Sign up here.
About the Author
Jordan Blum
By Jordan BlumEditor, Energy

Jordan Blum is the Energy editor at Fortune, overseeing coverage of a growing global energy sector for oil and gas, transition businesses, renewables, and critical minerals.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Energy

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Energy

Current price of oil as of June 2, 2026
Personal FinanceOil
Current price of oil as of June 2, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 2, 2026
1 hour ago
Welcome to the new voice of intelligence in the Middle East
NewslettersFortune Gulf Brief
Welcome to the new voice of intelligence in the Middle East
By Alyson ShontellJune 2, 2026
4 hours ago
goldman
EconomyConsumer Spending
It’s not a recession. But Goldman says your paycheck is acting like it
By Nick LichtenbergJune 2, 2026
7 hours ago
Erin Brockovich, the activist who defeated a utility giant and inspired a Julia Roberts film, is pushing data centers to be more transparent
EnvironmentData centers
Erin Brockovich, the activist who defeated a utility giant and inspired a Julia Roberts film, is pushing data centers to be more transparent
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJune 1, 2026
20 hours ago
A man sits at desk and looks anxiously at a computer screen
Economychief executive officer (CEO)
CEOs are losing confidence in the economy and expect conditions to worsen in the next six months, survey finds
By Jacqueline MunisJune 1, 2026
23 hours ago
The Strait of Hormuz is splitting into U.S. and Iranian lanes as ship traffic picks up even while fighting intensifies
EnergyIran
The Strait of Hormuz is splitting into U.S. and Iranian lanes as ship traffic picks up even while fighting intensifies
By Jason MaJune 1, 2026
23 hours ago

Most Popular

Erin Brockovich, the activist who defeated a utility giant and inspired a Julia Roberts film, is pushing data centers to be more transparent
Environment
Erin Brockovich, the activist who defeated a utility giant and inspired a Julia Roberts film, is pushing data centers to be more transparent
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJune 1, 2026
20 hours ago
The Iran conflict has disrupted oil supply. Gulf states are now looking to multi-billion-dollar investments in renewables 
Energy
The Iran conflict has disrupted oil supply. Gulf states are now looking to multi-billion-dollar investments in renewables 
By Melissa HancockJune 1, 2026
23 hours ago
Current price of oil as of June 1, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 1, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 1, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of silver as of Monday, June 1, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Monday, June 1, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 1, 2026
1 day ago
After issuing more than $20 billion in tariff refunds, the Trump administration is now pursuing legal action to bring the process to a standstill
Law
After issuing more than $20 billion in tariff refunds, the Trump administration is now pursuing legal action to bring the process to a standstill
By Sasha RogelbergJune 1, 2026
21 hours ago
Cognizant CEO is swimming against the tide on AI: he's hiring over 20,000 graduates this year and says AI tokenmaxxing is a 'vanity metric'
Conferences
Cognizant CEO is swimming against the tide on AI: he's hiring over 20,000 graduates this year and says AI tokenmaxxing is a 'vanity metric'
By Preston ForeJune 1, 2026
14 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.