One of the most historic oil spills in U.S. history occurred near a North Dakota community, resulting in the shutdown of the Keystone oil pipeline system operated by South Bow. The pipeline was restarted after almost a week, following approval from the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) under certain conditions outlined in a corrective action order. The spill, estimated at 3,500 barrels or 147,000 gallons, led to the excavation and replacement of the failed section of pipe, which will be sent for testing in a metallurgical lab in Houston.
This incident is not the first for the Keystone pipeline, with PHMSA documenting at least five previous accidents between 2016 and 2022. A 2021 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office found a total of 22 spills from the pipeline between 2010 and 2020. The corrective action order revealed a pattern of increasingly frequent incidents resulting in larger releases of crude oil, raising concerns about the pipeline’s safety and reliability.
The spill in North Dakota is reminiscent of a similar incident in 2019, where about 4,515 barrels of crude oil leaked due to a failed pipe manufactured by Berg Steel Pipe Corporation. PHMSA continues to investigate the recent spill and monitor the operator’s compliance with the corrective action order to prevent future environmental damage. The recurring spills from the Keystone pipeline highlight the lasting impacts of oil spills on the environment and the need for stricter regulations to prevent such incidents in the future.
Note: The image is for illustrative purposes only and is not the original image of the presented article.
