If approved, the Keystone XL pipeline would carry oil extracted
from Northern Alberta's oil sands to refineries and markets in
the United States. Vocal opponents of the project hope to convince
President Obama not to approve the project, but their chances seem
poor. The Canadian portion of the pipeline has already been
approved.
TransCanada describes the proposed Keystone
Gulf Coast Expansion Project as "an approximate[ly]
2,673-kilometre (1,661-mile), 36-inch crude oil pipeline that would
begin at Hardisty, Alberta and extend southeast through
Saskatchewan, Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. It would
incorporate a portion of the Keystone Pipeline (Phase II) through
Nebraska and Kansas to serve markets at Cushing, Oklahoma before
continuing through Oklahoma to a delivery point near existing
terminals in Nederland, Texas to serve the Port Arthur, Texas
marketplace." The final approval required is a political
one.
