Keystone Pipeline oil spill recovery could slow down by cold weather

Canadian energy company TC Energy said yesterday that upcoming cold weather in the area might slow down the oil spill clean-up.

MAP: TC Energy allowed crude flows to resume at the unaffected section of the Keystone Pipeline on 14 December. TC Energy

TC Energy had shut the entire Keystone Pipeline on 7 December, after an oil leak of about 14,000 bbls was detected in a creek in Washington County in Kansas, US. The company later resumed crude flows at the unaffected section of the Keystone Pipeline that runs from Canada’s Alberta through to the US’ Wood River in Illinois.

However, the section of the pipeline that runs through Kankas to Cushing, Oklahoma, where the oil leak occurred, still remains closed.

TC Energy says about 7,233 bbls of an oil-water mixture has been recovered from the creek since the incident happened. It is still investigating the cause of the leak at the affected pipeline section and expects full resumption after all investigation, repair and clean-up activity is completed.

A restart will also require approval from the US Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration (PHMSA).

TC Energy has submitted its plans to restart the Keystone Pipeline to US regulators, Reuters reported today, citing sources. It says that while the oil spill clean-up may take a few more weeks or months, the affected area can still resume flows once it is repaired, pending plan approval by PHMSA.

By Nithin Chandran

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