The federal government is studying the best options for Indigenous communities to reap economic benefits from the Trans Mountain pipeline but Ottawa is not planning to sell the project while legal and political risks remain.

Natural Resources Minister Amarjeet Sohi says consultations with Indigenous groups about the stalled Trans Mountain pipeline expansion are progressing well and he still expects to wrap up the court-ordered process by May.

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale made the comments in response to an exclusive Global News interview with Correctional Service Canada bureaucrats.