What Was the Dakota Access Pipeline 2016 Project
The Dakota Access Pipeline 2016 project refers to the construction and permitting timeline of the Bakken pipeline segment crossing under the Missouri River near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota. The pipeline is a 1,172-mile crude oil conduit designed to transport up to 570,000 barrels per day from the Bakken Shale formation in northwest North Dakota to Patoka, Illinois, where it connects to existing crude oil export and refinery infrastructure. Energy Transfer Partners and Sunoco Logistics Partners, now combined under the parent company Energy Transfer, developed the project, with the 2016 phase drawing national attention over environmental and tribal sovereignty concerns. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers granted key easements through a fast-tracked Nationwide Permit 12 process, which became a central legal and public focus during the protests. Learn more about the project structure and parent company on the Energy Transfer official site Energy Transfer official site.
In 2016, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued the final easement for the Lake Oahe crossing, a decision that was later subject to judicial review and executive intervention. The pipeline segment involved a steel pipe diameter of 30 inches and was engineered to operate at a maximum operating pressure of approximately 1,440 pounds per square inch gauge, with multiple pump stations along the route. The project was structured as a joint venture between Energy Transfer Equity and Sunoco Logistics Partners, with financing provided by a syndicate of banks and institutional investors. Construction jobs peaked during the 2016 cycle, with thousands of workers deployed along the route, while the project also generated property tax revenue for local counties and state jurisdictions. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings by Energy Transfer provide financial and operational details about the project structure U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings.
2016 Protests, Legal Actions, and Federal Decisions
The Dakota Access Pipeline 2016 protests began in April 2016 after the Army Corps of Engineers approved an easement for the Lake Oahe crossing without a full Environmental Impact Statement under the National Environmental Policy Act. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, arguing that the pipeline threatened the Missouri River water supply and sacred sites, while the court initially denied a preliminary injunction to halt construction. The protest encampment near Cannon Ball, North Dakota, drew thousands of supporters, including veterans, environmental activists, and indigenous rights groups, with the camp formally known as Sacred Stone Camp and Oceti Sakowin Camp. The U.S. Department of Justice, Department of the Interior, and Department of the Army issued a joint statement in September 2016 announcing a temporary halt to construction on federal lands adjacent to the Lake Oahe crossing, and the Army Corps initiated an Environmental Impact Statement review. The legal and protest timeline is documented in federal court records and government press releases U.S. Department of Justice.
On January 24, 2017, the newly inaugurated administration signed a presidential memorandum directing the Army Corps to expedite the easement review and issue a final grant, which the Corps did in early February 2017 after a limited review. The pipeline became commercially operational in June 2017, with the first crude oil deliveries moving through the Lake Oahe crossing segment. In June 2021, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia vacated the easement and ordered a more thorough environmental review, though the pipeline continued to operate under a voluntary shutdown and restart process while the court proceedings continued. The court later required the Army Corps to complete a full Environmental Impact Statement,