One of the most significant pipelines in the US in recent memory is moving towards a launch this year. The Eiger Express Pipeline promises to deliver vast volumes of natural gas and other energy resources from the Permian Basin in Texas to the Gulf Coast processing facilities. ONEOK and its plethora of partners on the project have come together to create a new joint venture to advance the project, and 2026 may see the Eiger Express pipeline expanding the already dominant gas production in the United States.
Texas: the home of one of the most prolific energy basins in the world
Texas has, over the years, become the home of the US energy sector through its litany of oil and natural gas developments across the State’s many, many basins. The US energy sector overall has been growing at an unprecedented rate in recent years, with the current administration leading the expansion efforts through several new developments, such as the new GulfLink deepwater crude export terminal.
Texas has several energy-rich basins that have served the US energy market well over the decades, including:
- Permian Basin: covering over 75,000 square miles in Texas and extending into New Mexico, the Permian is now the top oil-producing field or basin in the world.
- Eagle Ford Shale – this basin is as old as it is lucrative. The formation was created during the Cretaceous period and spans 3,000 square miles across 23 to 30 counties in East Texas.
- Barnett Shale – This basin is located around the Dallas/Fort Worth area and has become a major economic growth driver for Texas and the US energy sector overall.
The State has several other smaller geological oil and gas-rich basins, and with the US energy sector growing rapidly, the overarching consensus is that Texas will stand at the forefront of the energy expansion in the United States over the coming years.
Can ONEOK and its partners deliver the Eiger Express Pipeline without any issues?
The Eiger Express Pipeline project is being developed by the Matterhorn joint venture, which includes some heavyweight energy companies from the international energy industry. Alongside ONEOK, WhiteWater and Enbridge are working to advance the development.
The 450-mile, 42-inch pipeline has become a necessity to move the vast volumes of natural gas from the Permian to the Gulf Coast’s data centers. With a transport capacity of around 2.5 billion cubic feet per day, the EIger Express Pipeline project has become significantly important to facilitate the continuous growth of the US energy industry over the coming years.
MPLX, which owns a 15% stake in the Eiger Express Pipeline project, has been working diligently to increase the pipeline capacity in North America. The project is supported by strong transportation contracts with ten-year agreements in place with customers.
All expectations are for WhiteWater, which is responsible for the construction and operation of the Eiger Express Pipeline, to commission the project by mid-2028 at the very latest.
“This important infrastructure project is needed to provide additional transportation capacity out of the highly productive Permian Basin. This pipeline’s strategic location offers connectivity to growing natural gas demand markets, helping to meet the need for increasing electricity generation and international demand for liquified natural gas (LNG) exports.” – Pierce H. Norton II, ONEOK president and chief executive officer
US companies have opened the door to a new era of oil and gas dominance
Under the current administration, the regulatory barriers for energy projects have been somewhat lifted. To take full advantage of the new era of energy domination in the United States, some companies have appointed new leadership. This has led to several energy experts noting that the US now produces more gas than any other nation by capacity, and is relatively close to overtaking China in the oil production sector as well.
