Shaun King has posted a secret recording apparently made in the past few days at a meeting between Energy Transfer Partners and investors or shareholders of some kind.
Here are some key points:
- The speaker is clearly trying to reassure the supporters and paints a rosy picture that they will complete the pipeline by spring 2017 without re-routing.
- He says they still have 5100 feet to complete (under the Missouri River/Lake Oahe), otherwise it is finished. This will take 65 days of work in good weather, so probably three months. He implies they are not drilling now.
- He says they are waiting for a court ruling in February, 2017.
- He says the Trump Administration will put people in power to approve the pipeline.
- He makes no mention of two looming obstacles:
- The Environment Impact Statement (EIS) required by the Army Corp. If the Notice of Intent to do the EIS is filed before Trump takes office, the process will likely be set in stone.
- The fact that, even though they have pipeline customers lined up, Bakken production is falling such that all oil coming out of North Dakota now fits inside pre-existing pipelines (not even rail). Winona LaDuke has reported that, after January 1, these customers can back out of their contracts with DAPL.
The recording cuts off just as a question and answer period is beginning.
The recording says they hope to complete the remaining section (1100′ under Army Corp land and 4000′ under Lake Oahe) sometime in spring 2017. Their own map shows the width of the lake is about 5200′ at its narrowest.
Here are my notes from the recording:
0:00 to 3:00 He describes the pipeline carrying sweet Bakken crude from North Dakota to Illinois, and then on to the Gulf Coast in an old natural gas pipeline converted to crude oil. Says DAPL is “fully subscribed”, meaning they have shippers contracted to put their oil in the pipe.
2:43 He says 37% interest in pipeline has been sold to consortium of Enbridge and Marathon.
3:25 “make no mistake, this pipeline is going thru, exactly where….”
3:55 The pipeline is complete except for only 1100 feet under Army Corp land and 4000 feet under Lake Oahe
4:15 He argues they already were granted permission to complete the pipeline in this area; hearing before the judge is in February
4:45 “we’ve done nothing but play by the rules” “we crossed every T, dotted every I” “we did it by the book” “opposition had a chance to consult” (he is deceiving his audience here; see my detailed post on the laws Energy Transfer Partners has skirted or broken.)
6:32 “I’ll let you know one thing in this room: election night changed everything.” The new president “get’s it” “As soon as he gets inaugurated, he’s going to put a team together to get the final approvals done”
7:00 It will take 65 days with good weather to complete the drilling under Lake Oahe.
7:25 DAPL just met with officials (including reps of governor) in North Dakota—they are “tired of this” (implying the delays)
8:00 Says there’s a lot of misinformation on social media
8:40 Says this is not about the environment or the tribe, it’s about environmental activism to shut down all fossil fuels and they are using this to raise a lot of money
9:20 “We’ll continue to fight through this thing.” “Looking forward to this going through next spring.”
The entrance to Oceti Sakowin Camp, featuring the flags of dozens of tribal nations.
Memories of the People 