Wyoming Company's Proposal Shows 645-Mile Pipeline Coming for Eastern Montana

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Bridger Pipeline, based in Casper, Wyoming, has submitted a proposal to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality for a 645-mile pipeline that would carry roughly 550,000 barrels of Canadian crude oil per day.

The pipeline would begin near the Canadian border in Phillips County, north of Malta. From there, it would turn east, skirt the northern boundary of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, then run south along the Montana–Dakota border before ending in Guernsey, Wyoming.

About 80 percent of the proposed route crosses private land. Ten percent would cross Bureau of Land Management property, and another ten percent would be on state land.

The company says the route was selected to minimize new disturbances by following existing pipeline corridors and rights of way where possible. However, the pipeline itself would be entirely new construction.

While the project shares some similarities with the original Keystone XL proposal — including the same starting point at the U.S.–Canada border and a 36-inch diameter pipe — Bridger spokesperson Bill Salvin says it’s a different project altogether.

Salvin says comparisons to Keystone XL are understandable, but not accurate.

Environmental groups aren’t convinced.

Anne Hedges, executive director of the Montana Environmental Information Center, calls the proposal “a very big deal.” She questions the route choice, saying it appears less direct and potentially less economical than the original Keystone XL path.

The proposed line would cross several major waterways, including the West Fork of the Poplar River, the Missouri River, and the Yellowstone River.

Bridger has faced scrutiny before. In 2015, one of its pipelines spilled an estimated 30,000 gallons of crude oil into the Yellowstone River. Only a fraction of that oil was recovered. Salvin, who was with the company at the time, described the spill as unfortunate but said the company responded responsibly.

The document filed with DEQ is not yet a formal application. Instead, it allows the state to begin the environmental impact review process under Montana’s Major Facility Siting Act. The project would also require additional state and federal approvals, including a presidential permit.

The proposal does not specify whether the pipeline would carry oil sands crude — a key concern in past Keystone XL debates.

If approved, Bridger says construction could begin in July 2027, with crews laying about 20 miles of pipe per month.

Governor Greg Gianforte’s office says the governor supports new pipeline development, citing job creation, local tax revenue, and energy security.

For now, the proposal enters what’s expected to be a lengthy environmental review — and potentially another chapter in Montana’s long-running pipeline debate.