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Keystone Pipeline Spill: Thousands of Gallons Recovered, Impact Assessment Ongoing
Significant cleanup efforts are underway following a crude oil spill from the Keystone pipeline on agricultural land in North Dakota. As of Thursday, the pipeline’s owner, Calgary-based South Bow, reported the recovery of thousands of gallons of oil, but the timeline for resuming normal operations remains uncertain.
The incident occurred on Tuesday near Fort Ransom, approximately 97 kilometers (60 miles) southwest of Fargo, resulting in an estimated spill of 3,500 barrels of oil. To date, workers have successfully recovered around 700 barrels, equivalent to about 29,400 gallons, with a team of over 200 individuals engaged in the cleanup and ongoing investigation.
Due to the spill’s scale, South Bow has not provided specific details regarding when operations on the 4,327-kilometer (2,689-mile) pipeline, which connects Hardisty, Alberta, to multiple refineries across Illinois, Oklahoma, and Texas, will recommence. The company emphasized that any resumption will be contingent on receiving approval from regulatory agencies.
Currently, South Bow is collaborating with the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration as well as the state’s Department of Environmental Quality to address the situation comprehensively.
In terms of environmental impact, South Bow stated that continuous monitoring of air quality has not revealed any immediate health risks to the public. Local farmer Myron Hammer, whose land is affected by the spill, noted that workers are actively preparing the site for cleanup by bringing in mats for equipment access and constructing gravel roads to facilitate transport.
The nearby community, which consists of a mixture of retirees and local residents, is not heavily populated, according to Hammer. However, the presence of traffic checkpoints and increased activity from cleanup crews has been noticeable since the incident.
The leak was detected early Tuesday morning via a pressure drop alert from a control center, leading to an immediate shutdown of the pipeline. Despite the rapid response, experts have warned that if the pipeline remains out of service for an extended period, gasoline prices in the U.S. Midwest could rise significantly. Ramanan Krishnamoorti, a vice president at the University of Houston, noted the challenges in maintaining adequate stockpiles for refineries without the pipeline operating.
Gas prices in the Midwest have already begun to rise, a trend that could accelerate if the situation persists. Diesel prices are also expected to be affected, potentially resulting in broader economic implications.
Industry analysts, including Mark LaCour, editor-in-chief of the Oil and Gas Global Network, indicated that significant impacts on fuel prices are not likely unless the pipeline remains non-operational for several weeks.
According to Robert Hall, a senior advisor with the Pipeline Safety Trust, pipelines can face a variety of internal and external challenges, including corrosion and damage from construction. Despite these challenges, Hall maintains that pipelines remain the safest means of transporting petroleum when compared to other methods such as truck and rail transport, which have a more troubling accident history.
Source
globalnews.ca