TransCanada says oil has begun to flow on southern leg of Keystone XL

CALGARY – Oil has begun to flow on the southern leg of TransCanada Corp.’s Keystone XL pipeline.

Spokesman Shawn Howard says the company began filling the US$2.3-billion line with oil Saturday morning in Cushing, Okla.

That crude will eventually make its way to Houston-area refineries.

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Howard says over the coming weeks, TransCanada will inject about three million barrels of oil into the system.

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TransCanada is still awaiting approval from the Obama administration to construct the US$5.4-billion northern portion of Keystone XL more than five years after it applied for a permit.

The company was able to move ahead with the Gulf Coast portion first because it doesn’t cross the Canada-U.S. border.