Name of the Project
Keystone pipeline Gulf Coast expansion (Keystone XL) project.

Location
Canada and the US.

Client
TransCanada Corporation (TransCanada).

Project description
The project will enable Canadian and US oil producers to have more access to the large refining markets in the American Midwest and along the US Gulf Coast.

The project proposes a 1 897 km, 36” diameter crude oil pipeline, beginning in Hardisty, Alberta, and extending south to Steele City, Nebraska, in Canada and the US respectively. This pipeline is a critical infrastructure project for the energy security of the US.

Along with transporting crude oil from Canada, the Keystone XL pipeline will also support the significant growth of crude oil production in the US from producers in the Bakken region of Montana and North Dakota.

The pipeline will have capacity to transport 830 000 bbl/d of oil to Gulf Coast and Midwest refineries, reducing American dependence on oil from Venezuela and the Middle East by up to 40%.

Jobs to be Created
Independent forecasts by the US Department of State estimate that KXL will support tens of thousands of direct and indirect jobs and associated income during construction and contribute about $3.4-billion to US gross domestic product.

Value
$8-billion.

Duration
TransCanada expected to have the pipeline in service by 2015, but it has been delayed.

Latest developments
US President Donald Trump has issued a Presidential Permit, approving the construction of TransCanada’s long-delayed Kyestone XL pipeline.

The approval comes less than two months after Trump signed executive actions, clearing the way for contentious oil pipelines to be built in the US, inviting TransCanada to reapply to the US Department of State for a Presidential Permit for the Keystone XL pipeline. Trump has billed the announcement as “part of a new era of American energy policy”.

The project was stalled under former President Barrack Obama's administration, which had rejected the proposal on environmental grounds, prompting TransCanada to file a claim under Chapter 11 of the North American Free Trade Agreement and challenge the US Constitution.

TransCanada president Russ Girling has said that TransCanada will discontinue both actions, as it works on securing outstanding permits in Nebraska, Montana and South Dakota to advance this project to construction.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
None stated.

On Budget and on Time?
Keystone XL has been delayed, owing to the rejection of TransCanada’s application for a permit to build and operate the project.

Contact Details for Project Information
TransCanada, tel +1 866 717 7473 or email keystone@transcanada.com.