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Keystone Pipeline Shut Down After Rupture in North Dakota

A mechanical failure caused an oil spill confined to an agricultural field, prompting rapid containment efforts and ongoing investigations.

A supply depot servicing the Keystone XL crude oil pipeline lies idle in Oyen, Alberta, Canada February 1, 2021. REUTERS/Todd Korol/ File Photo
A pump station seen at the terminus of the Keystone pipeline in Steel City, Nebraska in this file photo from November 2015.
GASCOYNE, ND - OCTOBER 14: Miles of unused pipe, prepared for the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, sit in a lot on October 14, 2014 outside Gascoyne, North Dakota. (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images)
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Overview

  • The Keystone Pipeline was shut down on April 8, 2025, after a 'mechanical bang' was detected near Fort Ransom, North Dakota.
  • Emergency protocols were implemented within two minutes, isolating the affected pipeline segment and deploying containment resources.
  • The oil spill was confined to an agricultural field about 300 yards south of the pump station, with no impact on people, structures, or nearby seasonal streams.
  • Investigations are underway to determine the cause of the rupture and the volume of crude oil spilled, which remains unclear.
  • This incident adds to the pipeline's history of spills, including a significant 14,000-barrel spill in Kansas in 2022, raising concerns about aging infrastructure and safety management.