Keystone Pipeline shuts down over rupture in North Dakota

The Keystone oil pipeline on Tuesday was shut down in North Dakota after a rupture was detected, which disrupted the flow of millions of gallons of crude oil from Canada to refineries in the United States.

South Bow, which operates the pipeline, said the pipeline was shut down after a sudden drop in pressure was noted by the control center leak detection systems, and the shutdown occurred within two minutes of the detection, per the Associated Press.

“The affected segment has been isolated, and operations and containment resources have been mobilized to site,” the company said. “Our primary focus right now is the safety of onsite personnel and mitigating the risk to the environment.”

The rupture occurred in an agricultural field in a rural area, about 60 miles southwest of Fargo. The cause of the rupture was not immediately clear, but no people or structures were impacted. 

It is also not clear how many gallons of oil have leaked, but Bill Suess, spill investigation program manager with the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality, said the spill would have a "fairly good volume." 

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.