Kinder Morgan’s (KMI) refurbishing of Double H Pipeline is proving a bonanza for competitor True Companies and its Bridger system in the Bakken. The pipeline moved crude oil volumes far exceeding its nameplate capacity in 4Q25, a likely sign of the gains ahead in a tighter midstream market for Bakken crude.
Bridger shipped ~340 Mb/d in 4Q25 to the Guernsey hub in Wyoming, according to a report filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), up from 317 Mb/d in 3Q25 and 19% above its nameplate capacity of 285 Mb/d (see the throughput outlook for Bridger from East Daley Analytics’ Crude Hub Model, available in Energy Data Studio).
The gains for Bridger coincide with the period when KMI shut down Double H to prepare the former oil pipeline for NGL service. Shippers began migrating off Double H in 3Q25, and KMI temporarily closed the pipeline in 4Q25 to make upgrades for the transition. Bridger also recorded a big jump in volumes in 3Q25, picking up Bakken barrels that had formerly moved on Double H.
The filings show that Bridger has sustained operations over its nameplate capacity for at least six months. The consistency of the flows suggests True is using drag-reducing agents (DRAs) to raise the pipeline’s effective capacity.
Notably, Bridger has picked up nearly all the Bakken barrels displaced by the Double H closure. Flows on Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL), which carries crude to the Patoka hub in Illinois, declined from 525 Mb/d in September 2025 to 492 Mb/d in January 2026, despite ~750 Mb/d of capacity and ample room to take additional volumes.
Enbridge’s (ENB) North Dakota Pipeline (NDPL), another route from the Bakken to Patoka, was already running effectively full prior to the Double H conversion. Volumes on NDPL averaged ~218 Mb/d over the latest six months, near its 220 Mb/d capacity.
The gains for Bridger highlight the significance of True’s recently announced expansion to access Canadian crude. The company proposes to build a 550 Mb/d, 36-inch crude oil pipeline from Phillips County, MT to Guernsey. With Bridger already operating well above nameplate, the project would sustain current throughput more efficiently while accommodating additional barrels from growing Alberta production. Until that capacity comes online, Bridger will likely remain the primary outlet absorbing displaced flows, even as other systems run below capacity.
Downstream, Guernsey can only absorb some of the barrels from the proposed project. Effective egress capacity out of Guernsey is currently ~88% utilized, according to East Daley’s Crude Hub Model. Among key outlets, Platte Pipeline is running at ~74% utilization and offers the most immediate headroom. However, Pony Express, the primary route from Guernsey, was already moving ~12 Mb/d over its 300 Mb/d nameplate capacity in 3Q25.
We anticipate that Pony Express will need to be expanded, either through added pump stations or DRAs, if True constructs the Bridger expansion. Tallgrass Energy on March 31 concluded a joint season with Bridger to secure shipper commitments on Pony Express, with an eye to future expansions. – Amelia Johnson Tickers: ENB, KMI.
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