RENEWableDevelopers

Trans Canada Keystone XL Pipeline On Life Support?

President Obama through his Assistant Secretary Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, Kerri-Ann Jones has requested that the approvals of the 2,000 mile pipeline from Edmonton, Alberta to Port Arthur, Texas be halted, reviewed and potentially rerouted in the name of the Ogallala Aquifier and Sandhills region, both located in Nebraska. This pipeline is key to the continued expansion of the exploding mining industry in Western Canada. Interestingly, the proposed pipeline moves almost due South through Cushing, Oklahoma, a place few people had heard of until it was determined that a handful of the major commodity trading firms and investment banks owned much of the tanker farm capacity at the crossroads of the domestic refined fuel products transportation system. At the turn of the 20th Century, there was a saying that the only way to move through Chicago without stopping was in a cattle car, the question today is how will refined or unrefined products make it East of The Mississippi? Obviously, Port Arthur and anything on The Missippi is now more likely to be delivered to Bejing rather then Baltimore. I believe that The Keystone halt is as much of a warning shot across the bows of The Eastern Marcellus Shale Developers as with any real issues with pipeline siting in Nebraska. While everyone knows how to unlock the energy in the shale formations below ground, it’s clear that a tremendous amount of relationship building needs to take place above ground or any significant drilling, processing and transportation infrastructure development will be slowed to a crawl by the Federal Government.

Date: Monday, May 28, 2012 | No Comments

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