Company Says Crack Along Weld Caused Keystone Pipeline Spill

(Photo courtesy of South Bow via the North Dakota Monitor)

(North Dakota Monitor) – The operator of the Keystone Pipeline says a crack along a weld caused an oil leak in southeast North Dakota earlier this year.

South Bow temporarily shut down the Keystone Pipeline on April 8 after a drop in pressure. South Bow later estimated that about 3,500 barrels, or 147,000 gallons, of oil spilled in a farm field near Fort Ransom. The spill was contained to the farm field. The 30-inch pipeline was back in service in mid-April.

The company said the release of the independent analysis of the cause has been impacted by the U.S. federal government shutdown. The report would be released by the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

The agency had issued a corrective action order shortly after the leak, including reducing the  pressure in parts of the pipeline.

(North Dakota Monitor) – ENTER STORY HERE. Click the image on the left to replace. Be sure to use MEDIUM size and choose left alignment. Don’t forget to also add the image in featured media and select no image.