Trump Signs Pipeline Permits for Bakken and Enbridge Facilities on US-Canada Border
According to a Reuters report via BOE Report, President Donald Trump signed several presidential pipeline permits on April 15, authorizing new construction and continued operation of crude oil and petroleum product pipelines between the United States and Canada.
Permits Issued and Where the Work Is
The permits cover four facilities across two pipeline operators. Bakken Pipeline Company LP received two permits for Burke County, North Dakota, one authorizing construction of new pipeline facilities and one covering operation and maintenance of existing infrastructure. Enbridge Energy received permits to operate and maintain existing pipelines at two separate border crossings: St. Clair County, Michigan, and Pembina County, North Dakota.
The construction permit issued to Bakken Pipeline Company is the most significant for field service activity, as it authorizes new work rather than simply continuing operations on infrastructure already in place.
What It Means for Subcontractors
- Construction work is opening up in Burke County, North Dakota. The Bakken Pipeline Company construction permit is a direct signal that right-of-way, trenching, welding, and associated civil work will be entering the contracting queue. Companies operating in the Bakken region should be positioning now.
- Maintenance and inspection contracts may follow the O&M permits. Permits authorizing Enbridge to operate and maintain existing facilities in Michigan and North Dakota often precede service contract renewals for integrity management, corrosion inspection, and cathodic protection work.
- Border-crossing projects require additional compliance preparation. Presidential permits govern international boundary crossings specifically, meaning subcontractors on these projects may face tighter documentation, customs coordination, and regulatory oversight than on purely domestic work.
- Watch Pembina County and St. Clair County for Enbridge activity. Both locations now have fresh federal authorization, which can unblock work that may have been in a permitting hold.
