America's pipeline wars
Public opposition and shrinking growth opportunities have put the midstream in a tough spot. Expect more deal-making
The business of building pipelines and other energy infrastructure in America used to be fairly quiet. That was before Keystone XL. In scuppering the project, environmental groups stumbled onto their most effective strategy for keeping oil and gas in the ground-cutting off access to markets. Now, nearly every major pipeline project in the US is a battleground between the industry and activists looking to derail Big Oil. The latest flare up came on the plains of North Dakota where a coalition of Native American and environmental groups halted work on the $3.8bn Energy Transfer Partners-backed Dakota Access Pipeline. The line would ship around 470,000 barrels a day of Bakken crude nearly 2,000
Also in this section
22 April 2026
The failure of OMV Petrom’s keenly watched exploration campaign at Bulgaria’s Han Asparuh block highlights the Black Sea’s uneven track record, despite major successes like Neptun Deep and Sakarya
22 April 2026
Sustained strikes on ports, terminals and refineries are testing the resilience of Russia’s oil export system, yet rapid repairs, rerouting and surging prices mean the campaign has yet to deliver a decisive blow
21 April 2026
After overcoming a COVID-induced demand collapse with several years of successful market management, geopolitical events have conspired to provide the pact’s biggest test to date
21 April 2026
The regime’s policy of using nuclear ambiguity as a deterrent may have failed but it has realised it has other cards to play, while its neighbours are reappraising their approach to security






