2022 Keystone Pipeline oil spill

Keystone Pipeline oil spill
Location	Washington County, Kansas, United States
Coordinates	39.8422617°N 96.9965473°W / 39.8422617; -96.9965473
Date	December 7, 2022
Cause
Operator	TC Energy
Spill characteristics
Volume	588,000 U.S. gallons (14,000 barrels)

The Keystone Pipeline oil spill occurred on December 7, 2022, when a leak in the Keystone Pipeline released 13[1],000 barrels of oil into a creek in Washington County, Kansas.[2] The leak is the largest in the United States since the 2013 North Dakota pipeline spill and the largest in the history of the Keystone Pipeline.[3][4][5]

Background

Main article: Keystone Pipeline System

The Keystone Pipeline System spans from the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin in Alberta to refineries in Texas.[6] The oil pipeline is owned by TC Energy and the Government of Alberta.[7] Pipelines in the Keystone Pipeline System go through stress tests prior to use.[5]

Detection and response

At 9:01 p.m. EDT on December 7, the first indication of a leak on the pipeline was signaled. At 9:08 p.m., TC Energy launched an emergency shutdown of the Keystone Pipeline, following a drop in pressure.[8] The Environmental Protection Agency built an earthen dam to contain the spill.[5] The leak was detected near Washington County, Kansas, and spilled into Mill Creek, a creek that flows directly into the Little Blue River (Kansas/Nebraska).[9] An evacuation order was not ordered.[10][11]

Environmental impact

The leak raised concerns from environmentalists due to the transfer of tar sands through the pipeline, which are more toxic than crude oil and can sink in water.[5]

Pipeline investigation

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration began an investigation into the leak.[8] The Environmental Protection Agency dispatched two coordinators, who determined there was no impact to drinking water in the Washington County area.[12]

Cause of the spill

The independent analysis of the failure concluded that the failure occurred due to a combination of factors, including bending stress on the pipe and a weld flaw at a pipe to fitting girth weld that was completed at a fabrication facility.[13]

Economic impact

The price of crude oil rose 5% following the shutdown of the Keystone Pipeline, before receding. The surge occurred during a selloff of the price of oil, following the 2021–2022 global energy crisis.[8] TC Energy declared a force majeure upon news of the leak.[14] The spill, which leaked into a creek in Washington County, Kansas, cost about $480 million in clean-up efforts.[15]

References

1. https://www.kansascity.com/news/state/kansas/article281253373.html
2. Lysen, Dylan (December 12, 2022). "250 workers deployed to the Keystone pipeline spill in Kansas, but the cleanup's end isn't in sight". KCUR. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
3. Seba, Erwin; Williams, Nia (December 9, 2022). "Investigators, cleanup crews begin scouring oil pipeline spill in Kansas". Reuters. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
4. "Keystone pipeline leaks 14,000 barrels of oil into creek in biggest spill yet". The Guardian. December 9, 2022. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
5. "Kansas oil spill is Keystone pipeline's biggest ever, according to federal data". NPR. December 10, 2022. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
6. United States Department of State Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (March 1, 2013). Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Keystone XL Project Applicant for Presidential Permit: TransCanada Keystone Pipeline, LP (SEIS) (PDF) (Report). United States Department of State. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
7. "TC Energy – Keystone XL Pipeline". www.tcenergy.com. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
8. Egan, Matt (December 8, 2022). "Keystone Pipeline shuts down after oil leak, halting flow of 600,000 barrels a day". CNN. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
9. "Oil spill into a rural Kansas creek shuts down the Keystone pipeline". Los Angeles Times. December 9, 2022. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
10. Mercado, Angely (December 9, 2022). "An Oil Spill in Kansas Has Shut Down the Keystone Pipeline". Gizmodo. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
11. https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/32022074CAO/32022074CAO_Corrective%20Action%20Order%20(Amended)_03072023_(22-261792).pdf
12. Bryson Taylor, Derrick (December 9, 2022). "Oil Spill in Kansas Prompts Shutdown of Keystone Pipeline System". The New York Times. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
13. https://www.tcenergy.com/incident/milepost-14-incident/#collapse_id_f8e095d7-bb66-4cd9-9a0e-0fadbc763e3d
14. "Keystone Pipeline Is Shut Down After Oil Spills Into Creek in Kansas". Bloomberg News. December 8, 2022. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
15. https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/10/us/keystone-pipeline-spill-investigation/index.html