Trump Authorizes New Canada-U.S. Oil Pipeline Project as Keystone XL Replacement

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has signed an executive order authorizing the Bridger Pipeline Expansion, a major new cross-border oil pipeline project that would transport Canadian crude into the United States and effectively revive key elements of the Keystone XL pipeline canceled by the Biden administration in 2021.

The presidential permit, signed on April 30, 2026, allows the border-crossing portion of the project to proceed. The 3-foot-wide pipeline would carry up to 550,000 barrels per day of Canadian heavy crude from the U.S.-Canada border in Phillips County, Montana, south through eastern Montana and into Wyoming, where it would connect to existing infrastructure at a crude oil terminal hub near Guernsey.

The project is a joint effort between U.S.-based Bridger Pipeline LLC (a subsidiary of True Companies) and Canadian company South Bow, which holds the rights to the original Keystone XL pipeline. It is being described in some reports as “Keystone Light” because it is smaller in scale than the full Keystone XL but achieves a similar goal of increasing Canadian oil exports to U.S. refineries.

Trump has long criticized the cancellation of Keystone XL, which he had approved during his first term. The new Bridger expansion aligns with his administration’s emphasis on expanding domestic energy production, reducing reliance on foreign oil, and creating jobs through infrastructure development. Officials note that the project could increase Canada’s crude exports to the U.S. by more than 12 percent if fully realized.

The pipeline still requires additional state and federal approvals, including environmental reviews and permits from Montana and Wyoming. Environmental groups have already signaled opposition, citing concerns over potential spills and the climate impact of increased oil sands production.

For the Trump administration, the move represents a concrete step toward energy dominance and economic growth in the northern Plains and Mountain West. Proponents argue it will strengthen North American energy security and provide a reliable supply route that bypasses some of the vulnerabilities exposed by previous regulatory delays.

The Bridger Pipeline Expansion is expected to take several years to complete once all permits are secured, but Trump’s approval of the border segment marks the first major federal green light for a large-scale cross-border oil project since he took office.