Follow the Oil, Follow Enbridge's Money

Enbridge will pay $600 million for Salt Creek Midstream's Delaware Basin crude system, adding 500 miles of pipe

31 Aug 2026

Enbridge is paying $600 million in cash for Salt Creek Midstream's crude oil gathering business in the Delaware Basin. The deal, signed August 26, 2026, adds roughly 500 miles of gathering infrastructure to Enbridge's network. It also hands the company full ownership of the Orla and Wink North systems, plus a 50 percent stake in Delaware Crossing.

Together, those systems can move up to 420,000 barrels a day. More than 20 producers rely on them across some 320,000 net dedicated acres, bound by contracts averaging ten years. That kind of coverage gives Enbridge steady, predictable volumes flowing into its broader supply chain.

Colin Gruending, who leads Enbridge's Liquids Pipelines business, framed the purchase as a way to push deeper into the Permian through a well-connected gathering platform. The acquired assets link directly to Enbridge's Gray Oak Pipeline and its Ingleside Energy Center, the largest crude export terminal in North America. For producers, that connection removes a logistical headache: getting oil from wellhead to global markets without the bottlenecks that can eat into realized prices.

Deals like this have become routine in midstream infrastructure. Well-capitalized operators keep absorbing smaller gathering networks, and this one fits that pattern cleanly. Whether that trend slows anytime soon looks doubtful.

Regulators still have to sign off. The transaction awaits Federal Trade Commission antitrust clearance and is expected to close before year-end. Once it does, Enbridge will control a tighter, more efficient link across the entire Delaware Basin supply chain, from gathering wells to Gulf Coast export docks, with producers and downstream buyers standing to benefit for years.