Standing Rock Files New Lawsuit to Shut Down Dakota Access Pipeline

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe has filed new litigation aiming to shut down the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL), a critical conduit for Bakken crude, according to a press release from Tribal Chairman Steve Sitting Bear. The lawsuit argues that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has moved forward without addressing the tribe's longstanding concerns about water safety and treaty rights, a source reported.

"For ten years, Standing Rock’s concerns about this pipeline have not changed, and for ten years we have fought to protect our water, our Treaty rights, and our people," Chairman Sitting Bear said in the release. "Until this pipeline is shut down, we will continue to defend what generations before us protected for our children."

This legal action comes despite the pipeline having operated since 2017. A source noted that the pipeline has been delivering oil for 3,428 days as of the writing of its article, routed between 95 and 115 feet beneath the riverbed using horizontal directional drilling and monitored around the clock. The Army Corps of Engineers granted an easement for the pipeline's Missouri River crossing earlier this year, following a multi-year environmental review that culminated in a final statement late last year.

The new lawsuit highlights the persistent legal and operational uncertainty surrounding a key piece of North Dakota energy infrastructure. DAPL's ability to move over 500,000 barrels per day from the Bakken formation to market hubs is foundational to the state's oil economy.

In a stark contrast of global pipeline strategy, Saudi Arabia announced plans to massively expand the capacity of its East-West oil pipeline, according to a separate report. Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said the Kingdom aims to raise the pipeline's capacity to 10 million barrels per day within two to three years, up from its current maximum of 7 million. This pipeline is a lifeline for Saudi exports, allowing crude to bypass the volatile Strait of Hormuz.

While the Bakken faces legal challenges to a domestic pipeline that has operated without significant incident, a major global producer is investing heavily in pipeline infrastructure as a cornerstone of energy resilience. Saudi Aramco's CEO, Amin Nasser, stated the company is "studying additional crude export routes, and working on expanding overseas storage," and "focused on mitigating risks."

For Bakken operators and royalty owners, the ongoing litigation against DAPL represents a continued threat to market access and regional price stability, underscoring the critical importance of secure pipeline capacity. The Saudi expansion plan illustrates the global premium placed on reliable, large-scale pipeline infrastructure to ensure the flow of oil to market.