Plains All American to Buy Powder River Basin Assets for $585 Million
Plains All American Pipeline LP and Plains GP Holdings have agreed to acquire Silver Creek’s Powder River Basin assets from Tailwater Capital and The Energy and Minerals Group subsidiaries for about $585 million in cash, Oil & Gas Journal reports. The deal, announced Sept. 16, expands Plains’ Rockies crude oil gathering and transportation network across Converse, Campbell, Johnson, and Natrona counties, Wyoming.
The acquired system includes about 600 miles of crude oil gathering and transmission pipelines, more than 350,000 b/d of operating capacity, and roughly 1.2 million bbl of storage capacity. It also includes Silver Creek’s 49% non-operated stake in the Tallgrass Energy-led Powder River Gateway Joint Venture, which runs the Iron Horse and Powder River Express pipelines. Current throughput averages about 125,000 b/d, backed by 915,000 dedicated acres and contracts averaging more than eight years remaining. The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter of this year, pending customary closing conditions.
What It Means for Subcontractors
- Pipeline and gathering-system operators in Converse, Campbell, Johnson, and Natrona counties should prepare to requalify under Plains’ vendor and safety programs ahead of the expected Q4 2026 close.
- Trucking and hauling crews serving Powder River Basin producers may see new routing and connection points once Plains integrates the system with its Guernsey and Fort Laramie hubs.
- With 915,000 dedicated acres under long-term commitments, expect sustained gathering and maintenance work in the region rather than a short-term spike, giving mechanical and E&I contractors a longer bidding window to lock in pricing.
