Illinois regulators late on Oct. 14 approved an expansion of the Dakota Access oil pipeline, the largest pipeline running out of North Dakota’s Bakken shale basin, rejecting a bid by environmental groups to block the project.
The Dakota Access Pipeline can transport about 570,000 bbl/d of crude oil from North Dakota to the Midwest, with connections to the Gulf Coast. It had been a source of controversy prior to its completion in 2017, and there is an ongoing legal challenge over whether the line should remain operational after a federal court earlier this year scrapped a key permit.
The Illinois approval is separate from that case.
RELATED:
Despite DAPL Setback, Energy Transfer Vows to Keep Fighting
In an order on Oct. 14, the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) said additional pumping stations and equipment needed for the pipeline's capacity to be nearly doubled to 1.1 million bbl/d are necessary and would promote the security and convenience of the public.
"We are pleased with the decision by the ICC ... this now allows us to proceed with the optimization of the pipeline and allows our labor union partners to go to work," Energy Transfer spokeswoman Lisa Coleman said in an email.
Environmental groups including Save Our Illinois Land and the Sierra Club, which opposed the expansion, had told the ICC that the oil price downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic reduced the need for the expansion.
Sierra Club did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Last month, Energy Transfer told investors it expects to have expanded capacity available on the line by the third quarter of 2021.
In July, the U.S. district court for the District of Columbia determined that the pipeline violated environmental law and vacated its permit to operate on federal land. The company has appealed the district court's decision.
Recommended Reading
Shipping Traffic Freezes Up in Port Waters After Baltimore Bridge Collapse
2024-03-26 - U.S. port of Baltimore traffic was suspended until further notice following a bridge collapse. At least 13 vessels expected to load coal were anchored near the port at the time of the incident.
US Leads Global Oil Production for Sixth Straight Year-EIA
2024-03-11 - The Energy Information Administration says it is unlikely that the record will be broken by another country in the near term.
EIA: Oil, Gas Output to Fall Across Lower 48 in February
2024-01-18 - Daily oil and gas output is forecasted to decline from shale basins across the Lower 48 in February—except from the mighty Permian Basin, according to new Energy Information Administration figures.
The Secret to Record US Oil Output? Drilling Efficiencies—EIA
2024-03-06 - Advances in horizontal drilling and fracking technologies are yielding more efficient oil wells in the U.S. even as the rig count plummets, the Energy Information Administration reported.
Oil Prices Edge Up on Big US Crude Withdrawal, China Stimulus
2024-01-24 - U.S. crude storage withdrawal, Chinese economic stimulus and geopolitical tensions countered concerns over tepid demand.