Surveyors tied to the proposed Mustang Express pipeline were told to pack it up and leave Conroe city property on Thursday, after they tried to access the Southwest Wastewater Treatment Plant without what city leaders considered adequate paperwork.
Council members and staff said the crews could not move ahead on municipal land without clearer plans and explicit approvals. That decision effectively freezes on-the-ground work inside Conroe city limits, even as the developer keeps surveying and doing right-of-way outreach along other parts of the planned route.
Council Says It Needs Clearer Plans
Assistant City Administrator Norm McGuire told the council that staff did not have enough information and, in his words, "can't get behind the recommendation" to allow surveying on city property, according to the Houston Chronicle. The Chronicle also reported that Conroe has not signed off on any permits or formal plans for Mustang Express at this stage.
That lack of detail was enough for council to hit pause. After the Blackfin saga, several officials signaled they are not inclined to grant access first and ask hard questions later.
What Mustang Express Would Look Like
Developer ARM Energy has already announced it reached a final investment decision and secured about $2.3 billion in backing for Mustang Express. The company describes the project as a multi-segment system with roughly 2.5 billion cubic feet per day of capacity, according to a release from ARM Energy.
ARM says the buildout will involve major pipe and compression purchases, with an in-service target between late 2028 and early 2029. The pipeline’s own project site describes a route of about 240 miles and lists Montgomery among the counties the line would cross, although ARM’s release breaks the system into slightly different segment-mileage terms. The project website also plays up landowner outreach and safety standards as key themes in the company’s public messaging, as laid out on Mustang Express.
Blackfin Fight Still Shapes Local Politics
Conroe’s caution is not happening in a vacuum. Last fall the city rescinded permits tied to the Blackfin compressor-station site and adopted an ordinance that tightened oversight after sustained community opposition, a fight that played out in public meetings and legal filings. That local backlash coincided with a court battle that produced a temporary injunction against Blackfin’s on-site work, as documented by The Texas Lawbook.
Councilwoman Marsha Porter told the latest meeting that the city had "learned a lesson" from the Blackfin episode and said she would "certainly caution (future council members) to be suspicious of any pipeline in the future," according to the Houston Chronicle. That mindset helps explain why staff moved quickly to block access to municipal property when Mustang-related surveyors showed up.
What Comes Next
ARM describes Mustang Express as still in the planning, survey, and right-of-way acquisition phase. The company says it will hold an open season for remaining capacity as it lines the project up for a 2028 construction start, according to its release.
With Conroe refusing access to the Southwest plant, developers now need additional permissions or negotiated easements to finish local surveying and property work. That will slow any immediate progress inside city limits, even if activity continues elsewhere along the route.
The move from Conroe shows how local elected officials, ordinances, and court rulings can shape, and sometimes stall, large energy infrastructure plans even when developers already have financing and shippers in hand. For now, Mustang Express is still on a long runway. Company materials and industry filings describe active outreach, but actual boots-on-the-ground work in Conroe will stay limited until the city and ARM reach clearer terms or a future council chooses a different path.
