The
622,000 barrel-per-day pipeline is a critical artery shipping heavy Canadian
crude from Alberta to refiners in the US Midwest and the Gulf Coast.
There have been several spills on the line since it began
operating in 2010. The following is a timeline of some of Keystone's biggest
oil spills, based on data from the US Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety
Administration.
2011
May: TC shut the pipeline for six days after a spill of
about 500 barrels of oil due to a failed fitting at a North Dakota pumping
station. (https://reut.rs/3iKr5JC)
2016
April: TC shut down the pipeline after about 400 barrels of
oil leaked in Hutchinson County, South Dakota. (https://reut.rs/3W2FjUx)
2017
November: TC shut part of the Keystone pipeline system after
a leak in South Dakota, caused by mechanical damage from original construction.
Originally pegged at 5,000 barrels, a TC spokesperson later put the estimate at
about 9,700 barrels. (https://reut.rs/3P9J6Nu)
2019
February: Portions of the Keystone pipeline were shut down
after 42 barrels of oil leaked on land in rural St. Charles County, Missouri. (https://reut.rs/3HkTBLZ)
October: An estimated 9,120 barrels of oil spilled in North
Dakota. The spill was one of the biggest onshore crude spills in the last
decade and the largest for Keystone, according to PHMSA. (https://reut.rs/3Hq4zjH)