Christopher E. Smith
OGJ Pipeline Editor
HOUSTON, Apr. 19 -- The US Department of State published TransCanada’s Keystone XL pipeline’s supplemental draft environmental impact statement (SDEIS) and committed to making a decision on TransCanada’s request for a Presidential Permit for the US portion of Keystone XL by yearend.
DOS said the SDEIS public comment period will be open for 45 days.
A US House Foreign Affairs Committee subcommittee held hearings on the project earlier this month (OGJ, Apr. 11, 2011, p. 18).
Keystone XL would include 1,980 miles of 36-in. OD line starting in Hardisty, Alta., and extending to a delivery point near existing terminals in Port Arthur, Tex. It would add 500,000 b/d of capacity to the Keystone system, bringing it to 1.1 million b/d.
The proposed Cushing, Okla., tank farm site will be adjacent to the proposed site of Pump Station 32, less than ½ mile from the existing Cushing Oil Terminal. The Cushing tank farm would include three, 350,000-bbl aboveground storage tanks.
Keystone has commitments to transport about 600,000 b/d of oil, including firm contracts to transport 380,000 b/d to existing Gulf Coast delivery points. Keystone also has firm contracts to transport 155,000 b/d of oil to Cushing in its existing Keystone Oil Pipeline Project, which includes the Keystone Mainline and the Keystone Cushing Extension. If Keystone XL is approved and implemented, Keystone would transfer shipment of oil under those contracts to it.
TransCanada expects the project to be in service in 2013, pending regulatory approvals.
Contact Christopher E. Smith at [email protected].