The 1,897km Keystone XL pipeline aims to supply crude from the Alberta oil sands in Canada to the US Gulf Coast refineries
The Keystone XL pipeline will supply crude from the Alberta, Canada to the US Gulf Coast refineries. (Credit: shannonpatrick17 from Swanton, Nebraska, U.S.A/Wikipedia)
North American energy infrastructure company TC Energy has awarded a contract to Michels Canada to construct approximately 260km of the $8bn Keystone XL Pipeline Project in Alberta, Canada.
The 1,897km Keystone XL pipeline aims to supply crude from the Alberta oil sands in Canada to the US Gulf Coast refineries.
Under the contract, Michels Canada will directly hire about 1,000 workers each year over the two-year construction period.
Michels Canada president Dean Cowling said: “Michels Canada is pleased to be selected to build the Keystone XL Pipeline Project, which will bring with it thousands of good-paying jobs and economic benefits to local communities along the pipeline route.
“We look forward to initiating construction this summer and take pride in our reputation for delivering quality work safely and with care for the environment.”
Michels Canada to commence project construction near Oyen, Alberta in 2020
Michels Canada plans to commence construction on the project in 2020 near Oyen, Alberta. Work is scheduled to complete near Hardisty, Alberta in the spring of 2022.
Capable of delivering 830,000 barrels of heavy crude oil a day, the cross-border crude oil pipeline will originate from an oil terminal at Hardisty, Alberta, and traverse through Montana and South Dakota to connect with the existing Keystone Pipeline system at Steele City, Nebraska.
Keystone XL Canada execution & project enablement vice-president Rob Sillner said: “Michels Canada has extensive experience constructing pipelines and major infrastructure projects in North America and were chosen based on their alignment with TC Energy’s core principles of safety, environmental stewardship and stakeholder engagement along with their construction expertise, financial strength and contract competitiveness.”
TransCanada currently owns and operates the 4,324km Keystone pipeline system, which entered service in 2010.
In April 2020, Montana Chief District Judge Brian Morris in Montana, US has annulled a key permit for the Keystone XL pipeline project.
The federal judge claimed that the US Army Corps of Engineers’ key water crossing permit, named Nationwide Permit 12, for the TransCanada’s Keystone XL project granted earlier violates federal law.