Prairie Public Broadcasting

Keystone Pipeline project growing BISMARCK, ND (NDPR) - TransCanada says it will nearly double the capacity of a pipeline it's building to transport Canadian crude through Montana and five other states down to Gulf Coast refineries.

The $7 billion expansion means the Keystone Pipeline will carry an additional 500,000-thousand barrels a day -- meaning when completed, the pipeline will carry one-point-one million barrels of oil per day from the tar sands of Alberta to Oklahoma and Texas.

The 36 inch pipeline will run 218 miles through eastern North Dakota. State Public Service Commissioner Kevin Cramer says he's not surprised by TransCanada's announcement.

"We've known all along that the design capacity had the potential to grow," said Cramer. "More is better than less, from an economic standpoint, for the company."

Cramer says he doesn't expect any more regulatory action -- unless TransCanada needs to site more compression stations.


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