Sept 19 (Reuters) -

The Trump administration has sided with Canadian pipeline

operator Enbridge ( ENB ) in its legal battle against Michigan,

filing a court statement last week that challenges the state's

efforts to shut down the Line 5 oil pipeline.

Enbridge ( ENB ) has been locked in a long-running dispute with

Michigan over the aging Line 5 pipeline, which ships 540,000

barrels per day of crude and refined products from Superior,

Wisconsin, to Sarnia, Ontario.

The Calgary-based company is proposing to build a roughly

4-mile (6-km) tunnel for the pipeline, which crosses through the

Straits of Mackinac in the Great Lakes.

The project faces opposition from Native American tribes and

environmental groups, who fear it poses a risk to the Great

Lakes.

Enbridge ( ENB ) said in a statement that it remains confident in

the Michigan Public Service Commission's permitting process,

which approved the tunnel project.