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What is happening with the Keystone XL oil pipeline?
What is happening with the Keystone XL oil pipeline? November 18, 2020 12:51 PM Reuters 0 Comments TC Energy Corp says it is continuing to advance its Keystone XL (KXL) oil pipeline, the $9 billion project that would move oil from the province of Alberta to Nebraska.
Why is the Keystone XL pipeline still so disputed?
Why Is the Keystone XL Pipeline Still So Disputed? The Keystone Pipeline system has been the subject of controversy for years as environmentalists and others have fought to prevent construction and expansion of this oil-delivery network.
Why Keystone Pipeline is good?
There is already a Keystone pipeline that is shipping tar sands crude to Texas for refining; the XL is a shortcut and capacity increase. But with global demand low for oil products, having another pipeline on or off the permit table doesn’t change the price of anything.
Does the Keystone Pipeline affect gas prices?
Does the Keystone Pipeline benefit the United States?
The Keystone XL pipeline, a privately funded project, would double the current capacity of oil transported in the U.S. per day, provide the U.S. with a more stable source of crude oil, and significantly increase employment and capital within America.
What is bad about Keystone pipeline?
No matter how you look at it, Keystone XL would be bad for wildlife, especially endangered species. Many imperiled species live along the proposed pipeline's path and in areas where tar-sands oil is produced. If the pipeline were built, it would decimate habitat these species rely on.
Who does the Keystone pipeline belong to?
TC EnergyOwned by North American company TC Energy, the Keystone XL Pipeline “is the fourth phase of the Keystone Pipeline System,” an existing 2,687-mile pipeline whose Canadian portion “runs from Hardisty, Alberta, east into Manitoba where it turns south and crosses the border into North Dakota,” according to the company's ...
How do Pipelines help the economy?
Pipelines help keep costs low for important consumer goods like gasoline, natural gas and heating oil. These lower prices provide a direct benefit not only to consumers, but also to producers, distributors and manufacturers of all sizes across the supply chain.
Why the pipeline was a bad idea?
The same fossil fuel interests pushing the Keystone pipeline have been cutting, not creating, jobs: Despite generating $546 billion in profits between 2005 and 2010, ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, and BP reduced their U.S. workforce by 11,200 employees over that period.
Why did they shut down the Keystone pipeline?
On November 6, 2015, the Obama administration rejected the Keystone XL pipeline project, citing economic and environmental concerns. Financial commitment towards completion of the pipeline was weakened by a number of technological factors as well.
Who shut down the Keystone pipeline?
Keystone XL was halted by owner TC Energy after U.S. President Joe Biden this year revoked a key permit needed for a U.S. stretch of the 1,200-mile project.
Where does the United States get their oil from?
Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration tracks where the U.S. imports from the most. Of the 7.86 million barrels per day the U.S. imported in 2020, the majority came from its North American neighbors: Canada, with 4.13 million barrels (52.5%), and Mexico, with 750,000 (9.6%).
How long would it take to complete the Keystone pipeline?
When Biden revoked the permit on January 20, 2021, TC Energy completed just over 90 miles of a pipeline supposed to extend across 1,200 miles. Considering this construction history and the inevitable lawsuits the pipeline would have faced again, completion in three years might be wishful thinking.
Why are people against oil pipelines?
Oil and natural gas pipelines across the United States threaten local communities, ruin livelihoods, contaminate water supplies, and contribute to the expansion of fracking nationwide.
How will the Keystone pipeline affect the economy?
But once the pipeline is finished, it will create just 35 permanent jobs, according to the report. The State Department estimated that construction of Keystone XL would contribute $3.4 billion to the nation's output. That's about 0.02 percent of the $18 trillion U.S. economy.
What are the benefits of the pipeline?
Pipelines replace more carbon-intensive transport methods like truck and rail, making them the greenest way to move energy supplies like natural gas, propane, and gasoline. Pipelines reduce congestion across our roads, rail, and shipping transportation networks.
How would the Keystone pipeline affect the environment?
Ultimately, construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline could have detrimental effects on the environment, such as the destruction of ecosystems, the loss of habitats, and the pollution of nearby rivers.
Who shut down the Keystone pipeline?
Keystone XL was halted by owner TC Energy after U.S. President Joe Biden this year revoked a key permit needed for a U.S. stretch of the 1,200-mile project.
What is Keystone XL pipeline?
Keystone XL is an expansion of an existing pipeline, called Keystone, that carries Canadian crude into the U.S. It was first proposed in July 2008 by TC Energy Corp. , then known as TransCanada Corp., a pipeline company based in Calgary, Alberta, and ConocoPhillips , which was a joint owner until 2009.
How many barrels of gas would be added to the Keystone pipeline?
The Keystone XL Pipeline is an addition to the Keystone Pipeline, which would require another two years or so to complete. It would add about 830,000 barrels per day to the Keystone system.
What would happen if the German pipeline broke?
If the German pipeline breaks and leaks oil all over Russia, it won’t contaminate the American water supply. Biden is President of the United States. It’s his job to protect the United States from threats. And the XL pipeline posed a foreseeable threat.
How did the pumping industry help the US?
There was a large manufacturing base, as well as construction workers, many union positions that were involved in the construction. The increase in oil to the refinerys aided the US to be energy independent.
What does it mean if the state department had more leverage in dealing with oil producing countries?
This means the state department had more leverage in dealing with oil producing countries many run by dictators or undemocratic, in coming to agreements. This permotes peace. Without the pipeline much of that oil now has to be transported by rail, not a safe or efficient method.
When a power plant comes on line, is it the least efficient?
The same applies to a power plant when it goes from idle to powering-up. This is when the available wind stops or slows considerably based on relative production of power and amount of wind. When power plant comes on-line it is the least efficient. It is also when it is most critical to have available.
Will the US government benefit from the pipeline?
The US government won't directly benefit from the Pipeline at all, there are only indirect benefits. Personally, I would rather invest in renewable energy infrastructure like solar panels which would create more jobs and is better for the environment.
What would happen if Keystone XL was fully realized?
A fully realized Keystone XL would lead to more mining of that “nasty stuff” by accelerating the pace at which it’s produced and transported. (Indeed, Keystone XL was viewed as a necessary ingredient in the oil industry’s plans to triple tar sands production by 2030.)
Why is Keystone XL being opposed?
Opposition to Keystone XL centers on the devastating environmental consequences of the project. The pipeline has faced years of sustained protests from environmental activists and organizations; Indigenous communities; religious leaders; and the farmers, ranchers, and business owners along its proposed route. One such protest, a historic act of civil disobedience outside the White House in August 2011, resulted in the arrest of more than 1,200 demonstrators. More than 90 leading scientists and economists have opposed the project, in addition to unions and world leaders such as the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and former president Jimmy Carter (together, these and other Nobel laureates have written letters against the project). In 2014, more than two million comments urging a rejection of the pipeline were submitted to the State Department during a 30-day public comment period.
How much oil would be transported by Keystone XL?
To be precise, it would transport 830,000 barrels of Alber ta tar sands oil per day to refineries on the Gulf Coast of Texas. Some 3 million miles of oil and gas pipelines already run through our country. But Keystone XL wouldn’t be your average pipeline, and tar sand oil isn’t your average crude.
When will Keystone XL be cancelled?
January 20, 2021 Melissa Denchak. UPDATE: June 9, 2021: TC Energy announced that it is canceling the controversial Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, putting an end to a fossil fuel project that endangered waterways, communities, and the climate, which President Biden denied a key permit for on his first day in office.
When did Obama refuse to grant a permit for the Keystone pipeline?
When the Obama administration refused to grant the cross-border permit necessary to build TC Energy’s Keystone XL oil pipeline in November 2015, it struck a blow against polluting powers and acknowledged the consensus on this misguided project from a wide swath of people and organizations. “America is now a global leader when it comes to taking serious action to fight climate change,” President Obama said. “And, frankly, approving this project would have undercut that global leadership.” The Obama-era decision echoed a seven-year State Department review process with EPA input that concluded the pipeline would fail to serve national interests.
Where is Keystone XL?
The first, a southern leg, has already been completed and runs between Cushing, Oklahoma, and Port Arthur, Texas. Opponents of this project—now called the Gulf Coast Pipeline—say that TC Energy took advantage of legal loopholes to push the pipeline through, securing a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit and dodging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) more rigorous vetting process, which requires public input. The second segment is the currently contested 1,209-mile northern leg—a shortcut of sorts—that would run from Hardisty, Alberta, through Montana and South Dakota to Steele City, Nebraska.
Is Keystone XL pipeline shut down?
Most recently, on October 31, 2019, the Keystone tar sands pipeline was temporarily shut down after a spill in North Dakota of reportedly more than 378,000 gallons. And the risk that Keystone XL will spill has only been heightened: A study published in early 2020, co-authored by TC Energy’s own scientists, found that the anti-corrosion coating on ...
How much money will the Keystone pipeline contribute to the US economy?
It is believed that the Keystone XL pipeline has the potential to contribute more than $3 billion annually to the US economy once it become operational. It would also create an estimated $2.4 billion (in US dollars) for Canada, which would be split between the government, shareholders, and company reinvestments.
What would happen if Keystone XL went active?
In practical terms: if Keystone XL goes active, it would be the equivalent of adding 5.6 million cars to US roadways every day. 6. Tar sands oil has the potential to be highly corrosive. The oil that will be piped through the Keystone XL extension is some of the most corrosive petroleum that is used today.
How many barrels of oil are in the Keystone pipeline?
The Keystone XL pipeline is a delivery system that is designed to carry over 800,000 barrels of oil sands petroleum per day from Western Canada to oil refineries along the Gulf Coast of the United States. Around half of the pipeline has already been completed, but its construction has always been opposed by various environmentalist groups.
How many jobs will the Keystone pipeline create?
The US State Department has estimated that the construction of the pipeline project could create up to 42,000 jobs over a two-year construction period.
Why can Canadian producers raise prices with Keystone?
With Keystone, Canadian producers can raise prices because the quality of the petroleum will be better while they are able to cut into their overhead costs at the same time. 6. The amount of emissions added to the atmosphere from Keystone XL are negligible.
Is Keystone pipeline a full pipeline?
It isn’t a full pipeline project. The Keystone pipeline already exists in a completed state. At the moment, it delivers tar sands oil to the Midwest. The goal is to extend the pipeline down to the Gulf Coast to increase potential processing capacities with an asset that already exists.
Is Keystone XL a pipeline?
In this instance, its Keystone XL. 8. It isn’t a full pipeline project. The Keystone pipeline already exists in a completed state.
How far does the Keystone pipeline cover?
The Keystone XL pipeline presents some severe security challenges since it covers almost 2,000 kilometers of distance. There is no way that one single jurisdiction can cover all of the ground in case someone wanted to blow it up for some reason.
How many branches are there to the Keystone pipeline?
There is a main trunk line and eight branches to it. In comparison, the Keystone XL pipeline that generates controversy because of its placement is planned to be 1,897 kilometers upon completion. It would transport up to 830,000 barrels of oil each day for processing.
How many barrels of oil were released from the pipeline in 2011?
The number of crude oil releases from pipelines that were greater than 500 barrels is down by 32% since 2011. Most of the incidents that do occur don’t impact the general public either, with 71% of reported incidents wholly contained with the operation facility where it occurred.
Why are pipelines good for the economy?
Although pipelines can and do leak at times, the overall benefits to the economy and general lack of environmental impacts make it a win/win situation for most communities to consider. 3. It allows for workers to tap into distant resources without significant capital.
Why are pipelines important?
Pipelines are useful in the transmission of liquid items from one location to another. You have this technology in your home because a pipe drain takes sewage away from your property to the wastewater treatment plant. Fresh water supplies are available at your faucet because a pipe brings water to your property – even if you have a well drilled to access this resource. We also use pipelines to move energy products, such as crude oil, in as efficient a manner as possible.
How long is the West East Gas Pipeline?
The global oil and gas energy have some of the longest ones operating that have ever been created. The West-East Gas Pipeline stretches for over 8,700 kilometers, with PetroChina owning a 72% interest in the project. There is a main trunk line and eight branches to it.
Which country has the longest pipeline?
The United States doesn’t have the longest pipelines in the world, but it is home to the largest network of them. There are over 207,000 miles of liquids pipelines in operation at any time. That’s in addition to over 300,000 miles of gas transmission pipelines and 2.1 million miles of gas distribution pipelines.
Why is the Keystone pipeline important?
The Keystone XL pipeline was designed to transport oil to the Gulf Coast because refineries in the region are already equipped to process heavier crude oils, like those found in Canada’s Alberta province. The same kind of crude oil comes to the region from Latin America. If the pipeline transfers as much crude oil to the Gulf Coast as ...
Where does Keystone XL pipeline go?
What gets exported. The Keystone XL pipeline will transport crude oil from Alberta, Canada to Nebraska. The oil will then flow through another pipeline to Gulf Coast refineries, where it will be refined into petroleum products like gasoline.
Does the Gillibrand pipeline affect gas prices?
The U.S. State Department did not respond to most of Gillibrand’s claim but did comment on how the pipeline could affect gas prices. "As the final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement makes clear, gas prices throughout the United States are primarily driven by global market factors," a spokesperson said.
Does Keystone XL have oil?
The Keystone XL pipeline "doesn’t even have any oil for America.". The Keystone Steele City pumping station in Nebraska. The Keystone XL pipeline is supposed to connect to the station / Credit: Associated Press, 2015.
