Illinois regulators late on Nov. 11 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 Illinois approval is separate.
On Nov. 11, 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 bpd are necessary and would promote the security and convenience of the public.
The Dakota Access Pipeline can transport about 570,000 barrels per day (bpd) 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.
Last month, Energy Transfer told investors it expects to have expanded capacity available on the line by the third quarter of 2021.
