A leak on the Keystone pipeline, which spilled up to 2.2 million liters of crude oil into a waterway in the United States, was on its way to being brought under control on Friday, December 9, according to American authorities. If the estimate of the magnitude of the flow is confirmed, it will be the largest oil leak in the United States since 2013, according to the Pipeline Safety Trust association, which promotes the safety of oil pipelines.
The Canadian company TC Energy, which operates the infrastructure, spotted the incident Wednesday evening in Kansas and urgently stopped the flow of hydrocarbons in the pipe. “The affected segment remains isolated” and the flow of oil downstream “is contained”, the company said on Friday. The cause of the pipe rupture was not immediately identified.
Earth dam and vacuum trucks
“We are monitoring and investigating the Keystone pipeline leak”assured the American Minister of Transport, Pete Buttigieg, in a tweet. The pipeline safety agency (PHMSA) had ordered the company on Thursday to take “all necessary measures to protect the public, property and the environment from potential dangers” related to the leak.
According to the environmental protection agency, TC Energy set up an earth dam about 6 kilometers downstream from the incident. “to prevent further oil spillage”. The group also brought vacuum trucks and equipment to recover the oil spilled in the water of Mill Creek. Product recovery is expected to continue through next week.
Impact on oil price
The Keystone pipeline allows the transport of hydrocarbons from the province of Alberta, in western Canada, to several destinations in the United States. Normally, its throughput is around 600,000 barrels per day.
On Friday, the company was still evaluating when it might restart the service, which cannot happen until PHMSA gives the go-ahead. Oil prices temporarily spiked on Thursday after news of the leak before falling again. The impact of the incident on the energy market will depend on the duration of the suspension of Keystone, which notably brings crude to the terminal in Cushing, Oklahoma, where the American oil used as a reference for investors is stored. .