The amount of oil released from the Keystone oil pipeline in South Dakota last year was twice as much as initially estimated, TransCanada said.

Robynn Tysver, a spokeswoman for the Canadian pipeline company, told the Aberdeen (South Dakota) American News that 9,700 barrels of oil was released from the Keystone pipeline in November. The company reported the release in rural South Dakota initially at about 5,000 barrels.

According to the newspaper, that makes the Keystone release in November the seventh-largest onshore oil spill since 2010. An Enbridge spill in Michigan in 2010, at more than 20,000 barrels, was the largest in recent history.

The federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration said in a corrective action notice to TransCanada the release was likely the result of damage from when the section of the pipeline in South Dakota was originally installed.

"Preliminary information indicates the failure may have been caused by mechanical damage to the pipeline and coating associated with a weight installed on the pipeline in 2008," the report read. "Weights are placed on the pipeline in areas where water could potentially result in buoyancy concerns."

The Keystone pipeline, which carries a heavier type of oil from Canada, operated at a reduced pressure for much of late 2017 while the company worked on remediation efforts. A repair and restart plan was approved by the PHMSA with no objection late last year.

In one of his first moves in office, U.S. President Donald Trump signed executive action that facilitated the Keystone XL pipeline, an add-on to the existing infrastructure. TransCanada concluded the open season for commercial commitments to fill the Keystone XL pipeline on Jan. 18. With 500,000 barrels per day in firm commitments for the next 20 years, the company said the proposed project was contracted enough to proceed.

About 400 barrels were released from the original Keystone network in 2016. Federal investigators said that was from a "weld anomaly" on the pipeline and oil had been leaking from the pipeline at a rate of two drops per minute for an undetermined length of time.

Related Links
All About Oil and Gas News at OilGasDaily.com

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Riyadh: No major damage to oil tanker after Yemeni attack
Washington (UPI) Apr 4, 2018
An oil tanker moving through the Red Sea suffered only minor damage after it was attacked by Houthi rebels in Yemen, the Saudi government said. Col. Turku al-Maliki, spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, said on Twitter that naval forces were able to thwart a major escalation after Houthi rebels targeted a Saudi oil tanker. Speaking through the official Saudi Press Agency, the spokesman said the attack was in international waters and a flagrant violation to maritime rules in th ... read more