Keystone Pipeline Shut after Spill in North Dakota

The Keystone oil pipeline from Canada to the United States was shut on Tuesday after an oil spill near Fort Ransom, North Dakota, its operator South Bow and the state's Department of Environmental Quality said.

The 4,327-km (2,689-mile) Keystone pipeline is a major conduit for the supply of crude oil from Alberta to U.S. refineries in Illinois, Oklahoma, and along the U.S. Gulf Coast. Some U.S. refiners, especially in the Midwest, rely heavily on the type of oil produced in Canada and delivered by Keystone.

South Bow shut down the pipeline after its leak detection systems detected a pressure drop, a spokesperson said. South Bow late on Tuesday said an estimated 3,500 barrels of oil was released due to the rupture.

Bill Suess, a program manager at the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality said he expects the pipeline to be shut until at least Wednesday.