For the last two years TransCanada Pipelines has been in the planning stages of its massive Keystone XL Pipeline project.

By Monique Massiah

The $7 billion crude oil pipeline, which includes a section that will pass between Shaunavon and Eastend, will supply crude oil to the United States from refineries in Alberta.
Over 526 kilometers of pipeline will run in Canada from Hardisty, Alberta to Monchy, Saskatchewan.
“There definitely would be economic benefits to all the communities surrounding the proposed pipeline route in Saskatchewan,” said TransCanada spokesperson Terry Cunha. “We would have hundreds of crews working in the area.”
Those work crews are expected to use the local area when it comes to visiting restaurants, shops, and hotels.
“Our community is looking forward to the pipeline construction,” said town administrator Charmaine Bernath. “It will give a huge economic boost and we are looking forward to working with the contractors and various vendors to provide the services that they will require.”
The company filed a project description with the National Energy Board (NEB) in 2008 and a public hearing was held on May 12, 2009.
In 2009, representatives from Keystone also participated in town hall meetings across the proposed route, including visits to Shaunavon, Piapot and Burstall.
The NEB has approved TransCanada’s application to construct and operate the pipeline, but officials are still waiting to get the green light from the U.S.
Company officials, however, say the approval process is moving forward. Right now, TransCanada is awaiting a final environmental impact study from the U.S. Department of State.
Cunha said the report should be issued shortly, after which a 90-day comment period will allow regulators to review it.
Because of the growing concern for oil-related disasters following the off-shore oil leak that polluted the Gulf Coast for months, Cunha said oil pipeline construction is being looked at more carefully.
TransCanada officials, however, are confident the proposed Keystone XL project will meet any safety concerns the U.S. might have.
“We feel that we are building if not one of the safest, the safest pipeline in North America,” Cunha said.
The pipeline will be buried four feet below ground and have a diameter of 36 inches.
The pipeline will be monitored 24-hours a day from a control centre using satellite technology which can provide TransCanada with updates every five seconds.
According to Cunha, the satellite is able to read each of the 16000 data feeds along the route and detect drops in pressure. From there the system can isolate and shut off any potential problem sections within minutes.
Cunha says the company expects to get a presidential permit to proceed with the construction of the project in 2011.
Once completed, the 2,600-kilometre pipeline system will pump 1.1 million barrels of crude oil a day from Hardisty to the Gulf Coast.
It will be the longest pipeline ever built in North America.
The project is expected to be operational in 2013.