In Bismarck, North Dakota, the Keystone oil pipeline has resumed operations after it was shut down following an oil spill on farmland. The operator, South Bow, announced that they have carefully restarted the system amidst challenging weather and implemented a “carefully controlled restart” strategy that includes around-the-clock monitoring. This strategy also incorporates operating the pipeline at reduced pressures, addressing the site clean-up, and adhering to requirements set by federal regulators.
According to the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), the segment of the pipeline where the failure occurred was excavated and replaced. Now, the failed section will undergo further investigation in a Houston metallurgical laboratory to determine the cause. The repaired part of the pipeline is subjected to various pressure tests to verify its structural integrity. PHMSA confirmed that the investigation is still in progress, and the reasons behind the spill remain unidentified.
South Bow has completed repairs, conducted inspections, and executed testing at the site of the spill. They have received approval from PHMSA on their restart protocol. The company also intends to apply pressure restrictions on segments of the pipeline located in Canada and has communicated these measures with Canadian regulators. Although the cause of the spill is yet unknown, the company assures that they will disclose findings from their investigation when they become available.
An employee reportedly heard a mechanical noise described as a “mechanical bang” and promptly halted the operation within two minutes. The spill is estimated at approximately 3,500 barrels or roughly 147,000 gallons, and by early Friday, 1,170 barrels or 49,140 gallons had been retrieved with vacuum trucks, as per PHMSA.
The spill occurred close to Fort Ransom, North Dakota, a small community that is renowned for its picturesque landscapes and outdoor activities. The comprehensive 2,689-mile Keystone Pipeline transports crude oil from the Canadian region of Alberta to refining facilities located in Illinois, Oklahoma, and Texas. Despite the shutdown affecting sections from Alberta to Illinois and an Oklahoma liquid tank terminal, the operation between Oklahoma and Texas continues.
The recent dip in oil prices, partially due to tariff-related issues, has made the pipeline shutdown’s impact on gas prices less severe, although diesel prices could still potentially rise. According to Ramanan Krishnamoorti of the University of Houston, there is a noticeable decline in gas prices nationally as a result of falling oil prices linked to tariff and trade disputes. Patrick De Haan from GasBuddy remarked that the steep drop in oil prices last week has counterbalanced any significant impact from the pipeline incident, contributing to the decrease in gas prices across various states.