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What happened with the Keystone pipeline?
On a Tuesday morning, the Keystone oil pipeline, stretching an impressive 4,327 kilometers (2,689 miles) from Canada to the U.S., was abruptly shut down after a significant rupture was detected in North Dakota.
This incident halted the flow of crude oil, which typically averages around 624,000 barrels per day, to various refineries across the United States. The pipeline, managed by South Bow, was immediately shut down following a pressure drop detected by their control center’s leak detection systems.
Environmental concerns and response efforts
The spill has been contained to an agricultural field located approximately 60 miles southwest of Fargo. Fortunately, no nearby structures or individuals were affected, and emergency personnel swiftly mobilized to the site. Bill Suess, the spill investigation program manager with the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality, reported that an employee heard a “mechanical bang” just moments before the pipeline was shut down.
Oil was found surfacing about 274 meters (300 yards) south of the pump station, prompting immediate action to mitigate any potential environmental damage.
Past incidents and future implications
This is not the first time the Keystone pipeline has faced scrutiny.
In December 2022, nearly 13,000 barrels of oil spilled from a different section of the pipeline in Kansas, raising alarms about the integrity of the infrastructure. An engineering consulting firm indicated that the bend in the pipeline at that site had been “overstressed” since its installation in 2010, likely due to construction activities altering the surrounding land.
TC Energy, the original constructor of the pipeline, attributed the Kansas spill to a faulty weld that had worsened over time.
While the current spill’s volume is still being assessed, experts like Suess have noted that even a brief two-minute flow could result in a significant amount of oil being released.
However, he also pointed out that previous spills from the same pipeline have been much larger, suggesting that while this incident is serious, it may not reach catastrophic levels.
The future of the Keystone pipeline
The Keystone pipeline, constructed at a staggering cost of $5.2 billion, has been a focal point of environmental debates since its inception in 2010. Although a proposed extension, Keystone XL, aimed to transport crude oil to Gulf Coast refineries, it was ultimately abandoned in 2021 due to extensive protests from environmental activists and Indigenous communities concerned about the pipeline’s environmental impact.
As investigations into the current rupture unfold, the Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is sending a team to determine the cause of the leak. The future of the Keystone pipeline remains uncertain, especially in light of ongoing environmental concerns and the increasing push for sustainable energy solutions.
