Keystone XL

Keystone XL is a 36-inch crude oil pipeline, 1,210-miles (1,947-kilometers) in length, traversing two provinces and three states. The pipeline will be capable of safely delivering 830,000 barrels per day (Bbl/day) of crude oil from Hardisty, Alberta, to Steele City, Nebraska, where it will connect with TC Energy’s existing facilities to reach U.S. Gulf Coast refiners and meet critical needs for transportation fuel and useful manufactured products.

The pipeline has been deemed to be in the United States’ national interest, in large part, because it will provide the U.S. with a dependable source of crude oil from Canada, a stable nation that is a reliable and trusted trading partner.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the U.S. imports about 9.1 million barrels of oil a day from 90 countries, including Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Russia.

The pipeline will contribute $5.8 billion to the U.S. and Canadian GDP, during construction, and significant property tax revenues — as well as sales and other tax revenues — to counties, provinces and states along the project route.

Construction of Keystone XL will also create 13,200 (U.S., 10,400, and Canada, 2,800) high-quality jobs and local contracting opportunities for welders, surveyors, engineers, environmental specialists and more for communities and Indigenous groups.

Overall, construction will support nearly 60,000 (U.S., 42,000 and Canada, 17,000) direct, indirect and induced employment opportunities generated by the business that will be created supplying goods and services to the project and the project’s workforce.

Every pipeline that crosses an international border into the U.S. requires a Presidential permit. Keystone XL received a permit from President Donald Trump’s administration on March 29, 2019.

With pre-construction activities currently underway, we anticipate construction to begin April 1, with Keystone XL entering into service in 2023.

This is the most studied cross-border pipeline in the history of North America. Keystone XL has been extensively studied by federal, state and provincial agencies for more than a decade, including six comprehensive scientific reviews by the U.S. Department of State. All of this research concluded Keystone XL can be built safely and with care for the environment. The U.S. Department of State features Keystone XL studies at KeystonePipeline-XL.state.gov.

New technologies and engineering techniques allow pipelines such as Keystone XL to be safely installed below a river bed, leaving the natural resources above intact and undisturbed.

Horizontal directional drilling (HDD) is an environmentally friendly method used to cross sensitive areas with minimal impact to the surrounding area.

HDD crossings bury the pipe deeper on both sides of the riverbank, providing greater protection from floods and high water levels. Pipe used for river crossings has thicker steel with additional anti-corrosion and abrasion resistant coatings.

TC Energy announced that it will proceed with construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline project resulting in an investment of US$8.0 billion into the North American economy.

Keystone XL will be capable of safely delivering 830,000 barrels per day (Bbl/day) of crude oil from Hardisty, Alberta, to Steele City, Nebraska, where it will connect with TC Energy’s existing facilities to reach U.S. Gulf Coast refiners to meet critical needs for transportation fuel and useful manufactured products.

Keystone XL has the support of landowners, customers, Indigenous groups and numerous partners in the U.S. and Canada, including U.S. President Donald Trump and Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, who have helped secure project support and key regulatory approvals as this important energy infrastructure project is expected to put thousands of people to work and generate substantial economic benefits while strengthening the continent's energy security.

Project highlights:

• Thousands of well-paying jobs during construction
• Advances continental energy security
• Tens of millions in property and income taxes through every year of operation
• Six comprehensive scientific reviews by the U.S. Department of State over the past decade outlining that the project can be built and operated in an environmentally sustainable and responsible way
• Safer and less-GHG intensive than current methods of transporting crude oil to market
• Thousands of stakeholders engaged, including landowners, community members and Indigenous communities

Keystone XL is the fourth and final leg of the Keystone Pipeline System. In 2009, TC Energy submitted its regulatory application for Keystone XL in Canada. It was approved by the National Energy Board (NEB), now called Canada Energy Regulator (CER), in 2010.

Since then, we have obtained all required easements in Canada, and have continued to conduct important project activities, including updates to environmental studies and ongoing stakeholder and Indigenous engagement. In May 2019, the NEB approved outstanding pre-construction conditions for the project in Canada.

In the United States, we have been working with federal, state, tribal and local leaders since 2009 to advance the project to construction. Over that time, we received federal approvals, including a Presidential permit, and state approvals in the operating regions of Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska.

The current 4,234 km (2,687 mile) Keystone Pipeline System is three-quarters complete, with three of four phases already in service.

Phase I: In June, 2010, the first 3,467 km (2,154 mile) section of the Keystone Pipeline Project from Hardisty, Alberta, to Steele City, Nebraska, and onward to Wood River and Patoka, Illinois, went into service, becoming the first section of the Keystone Pipeline System.

Phase II: In February 2011, the second 468 km (291 mile) section of the Keystone Pipeline Project from Steele City, Nebraska, to Cushing, Oklahoma, went into service, joining the Keystone Pipeline System.

Phase III: In January 2014, the 780 km (487 mile) Gulf Coast Project, from Cushing, Oklahoma, to Nederland, Texas, went into service, continuing the Keystone Pipeline System. Another smaller section of Phase III, the 80 km (48 mile) Houston Lateral Project from Port Arthur to Houston, Texas, went into service in 2016.

Phase IV: Expected to be in service in 2023, the Keystone XL Pipeline Project will add an additional connection from Hardisty, Alberta, to Steele City, Nebraska and complete the existing Keystone Pipeline System.

TC Energy accepts applications from vendors looking to provide Keystone XL Pipeline with services and/or materials.

For your company to be considered, please register your company at our Supplier Registration Portal. Once your company’s details have been provided, you may be contacted for additional information on your service/supply offerings or requested to provide proposals on project work directly to TC Energy or through our third-party contractors.

We also encourage you to visit Jobs.TCEnergy.com to learn more about current career opportunities at TC Energy.

Keystone XL will be capable of safely delivering 830,000 barrels per day (Bbl/day) of crude oil from Hardisty, Alberta, to Steele City, Nebraska, where it will connect with TC Energy’s existing facilities to reach U.S. Gulf Coast refiners and meet critical needs for transportation fuel and useful manufactured products.

Keystone XL will provide substantial economic benefits to the U.S. The pipeline will contribute $3.4 billion to the United States GDP, during construction.

It will also generate more than $55 million in property taxes in the first year of operation in three states: Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska, directly benefit local communities to build new roads and support schools, hospitals and first responders.

The Keystone Pipeline System has already generated $419 million in property tax revenue to date.

Construction of Keystone XL will create 10,400 high-quality jobs and local contracting opportunities for welders, surveyors, engineers, environmental specialists and more for communities and Indigenous groups.

Overall, construction will support nearly 42,000 direct, indirect and induced employment opportunities generated by the business that will be created supplying goods and services to the project and the project’s workforce..

To find out more about jobs and work on the project visit our Supplier Registration Portal.

Keystone XL will be capable of safely delivering 830,000 barrels per day (Bbl/day) of crude oil from Hardisty, Alberta, to Steele City, Nebraska, where it will connect with TC Energy’s existing facilities to reach U.S. Gulf Coast refiners and meet critical needs for transportation fuel and useful manufactured products.

Keystone XL will provide substantial economic benefits to the U.S. The pipeline will contribute $2.4 billion to the Canadian GDP, during construction.

It will also generate more than $7 million in property taxes in the first year of operation in two provinces, Alberta and Saskatchewan, directly benefit local communities to build new roads and support schools, hospitals and first responders.

The Keystone Pipeline System has already generated $81 million in property tax revenue to date.

Construction of Keystone XL will create 2,800 high-quality jobs and local contracting opportunities for welders, surveyors, engineers, environmental specialists and more for communities and Indigenous groups.

Overall, construction will support nearly 17,000 direct, indirect and induced employment opportunities generated by the business that will be created supplying goods and services to the project and the project’s workforce..

To find out more about jobs and work on the project visit our Supplier Registration Portal.

Keystone XL will provide substantial economic benefits to the U.S. and Canada, including contributions of $3.4 billion to U.S. GDP and $2.4 billion to GDP in Canada during construction.

Keystone XL will generate $62 million in property tax revenue during the pipeline’s first year in service.

The Keystone Pipeline System has already generated over $500 million in property tax revenue to date, helping to build new roads, schools and hospitals, helping to ease the tax burden on ordinary citizens.

Construction of Keystone XL will create 13,200 (U.S., 10,400, and Canada, 2,800) high-quality jobs and local contracting opportunities for welders, surveyors, engineers, environmental specialists and more for communities and Indigenous groups.

Overall, construction will support nearly 60,000 (U.S., 42,000 and Canada, 17,000) direct, indirect and induced employment opportunities generated by the business that will be created supplying goods and services to the project and the project’s workforce.

We know pipelines are the safest method of transporting crude oil and natural gas over long distances, and we are constantly striving to make them safer. We believe that zero incidents is an achievable goal. Every day, our teams across North America work tirelessly to proactively maintain our pipelines, adopting innovative solutions in energy transportation and incorporating past learnings to push us closer to our ‘zero is real’ goal..

Every day, we do our part to manage our GHG emissions, and the programs and initiatives we have in place sufficiently meet regulatory requirements.

GHG emissions associated with alternative transportation scenarios, such as shipping oil by rail, barge and truck are significantly greater than Keystone XL.

Read more in TC Energy’s Report on Sustainability and Climate Change.