The Keystone Oil Pipeline Project

INTRODUCTION

Almost every single nation in our world today, the United States included, is extremely reliant on oil and how much of it we can obtain. Wars have been started between countries vying for control of this valuable natural resource. The United States as a whole has been trying to reduce its reliance on foreign oil and has had some success, especially with the discovery of the Bakken formation and projects like the Keystone Pipeline.

Projects like the Keystone Pipeline are important as they will allow us to transport more oil than we would be able to in train cars, and grants larger access to oil reserves in the United States and Canada. The Keystone Pipeline itself is an oil pipe line which runs from the western Canadian sedimentary basin in Alberta, Canada to refineries in the United States. These refineries are located in three different main locations: Steele City, Nebraska, Wood River and Patoka, Illinois and refineries located in the gulf coast of Texas.

The pipeline carries three different kinds of oil which are synthetic crude and diluted bitumen, and also a light crude oil. The light crude oil comes from the Bakken formation located in North Dakota and Montana while the synthetic crude and diluted bitumen come from the oil sands in Canada. There are already three phases of the pipeline in operation and a fourth proposed phase which has yet to be built.

The newest proposed phase has been met with mixed feelings. Many companies in industry wish to see the newest phase of the pipeline completed because many believe that it would be very beneficial to almost everyone. One of the biggest benefits that the construction of a new section of pipeline would provide is the large amount of jobs that it would create. The...

... middle of paper ...

... also include a few maps to help better demonstrate where each part of the pipeline is located.

PHASE 1

Phase one of the Keystone pipeline was the first part of the project to be proposed and constructed and it is also by far the longest. It runs from Hardisty, Alberta to refineries in the United States, located at Wood River and Pakota, Illinois. The section in the United States is 1,379 miles long and the section in Canada is 768 miles long, bringing it to a grand total of 2,147 miles of pipeline. Phase one was operational in June of 2010.

PHASE 2

Phase two of the pipeline is relatively short compared to the rest of the project as it comes in at only 291 miles long. The main purpose of phase two was to route oil from Steele City in Nebraska, through Kansas, and finally down to Cushing, Oklahoma. The second phase’s construction was completed in February of 2011.