Steel Products Prices North America
August 19, 2014
TransCanada Answers SMU Questions About Keystone XL Pipeline
Written by Sandy Williams
TransCanada’s Keystone XL Pipeline has been on hold since 2008 waiting for U.S. presidential approval of the permit to allow the pipeline to cross the U.S./Canada border. President Obama has said he would approve the pipeline only if it did “not significantly exacerbate the climate problem.” Opponents of the pipeline are concerned the pipeline will reduce the cost of oil, thereby increasing consumption and spurring new carbon dioxide emissions. Others are concerned about potential pipeline breakage contaminating ground water and crops.
In response, pipeline advocates say the oil from Canada will not affect supply and that it will get to market whether by pipeline or rail. Pipeline safety has been addressed by TransCanada by upgraded safety measures that include using 36 inch diameter with a wall thickness of 0.72 design factor. Recent rail tank car spills have shown than petroleum transported rail is not necessarily a safer option. Tankers carrying oil are now being replaced and/or retrofitted with new safeguards that will take years to complete.
