Cleanup Efforts Begin Following Keystone Pipeline Spill of Nearly 3,500 Barrels of Crude Oil – One America News Network
OAN Staff James Meyers
1:42 PM – Thursday, April 10, 2025
Cleanup operations have commenced following a spill of approximately 3,500 barrels of crude oil into a farmland area in North Dakota. This occurred after an employee of the Keystone pipeline reported hearing a “mechanical bang” from the system on Tuesday morning, according to a statement from the managing company, South Bow.
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The company has deployed over 200 personnel to assist with recovery efforts at the site, where a damaged section of the pipeline remains secured.
As of Thursday, around 700 barrels of oil, equivalent to nearly 20% of the total spilled amount, have been successfully recovered, with the system still shut down, as per the company’s update.
The origin of the spill has yet to be determined, and the company is actively investigating the cause and potential duration for repairs, according to spokesperson Kristin Anderson.
The spill’s estimated volume of 3,500 barrels, or 147,000 gallons of crude oil, is comparable to the capacity of 16 tanker trucks, noted policy analyst Paul Blackburn from Bold Alliance, adding that this figure may rise as more information becomes available.
South Bow reported on Thursday that “continuous air quality monitoring has indicated no signs of health or public concerns at this time,” and that teams are conducting “round-the-clock monitoring of air and environmental conditions.”
The company is collaborating with the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality as cleanup efforts progress.
South Bow has reiterated that an investigation into the cause of the spill is currently in progress.
“We have not set a timeline for the system’s restart and will only resume operations with the necessary regulatory approvals,” stated South Bow. “Our primary concern remains the safety of onsite personnel and minimizing environmental risks.”
The Keystone Pipeline became operational in 2011, traversing states such as North Carolina, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri. The crude oil it transports is delivered to refineries located in Oklahoma and Illinois.
A proposed extension meant to transport crude oil to the Gulf Coast was halted in 2021 following years of protests from environmental activists.
The pipeline has experienced three significant spills since 2017, with the largest incident occurring in 2022 when 14,000 barrels of crude oil were released into a creek in Kansas.
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