CALGARY – Russ Girling spoke to Americans live from the Global Calgary studio Sunday morning.
He was interviewed on ABC morning show, “The Times” where he touted the benefits of the Keystone XL pipeline for the United States.
House members passed the latest bill Friday, in a 252 to 161 vote that included approval from 31 Democrats.
The Senate vote is expected as early as Tuesday but the outcome is far from certain.
President Barack Obama has opposed previous versions of the bill and has signalled that he may veto the current bill if it’s passed by Senate.
“Understand what this project is,” President Barack Obama said Friday.
“It is providing the ability of Canada to pump their oil, send it through our land, down to the Gulf where it will be sent everywhere else. It doesn’t have an impact on U.S. gas prices.”
Girling, however, maintains 100 per cent of the oil transported by Keystone would be used in the Gulf Coast.
ABC News reporter Martha Raddatz also grilled Girling on the subject of American jobs.
Girling says he will be hiring 9,000 people to construct the pipeline. Raddatz questioned the number of ongoing jobs.
“Yes the actual operating jobs are about fifty but that doesn’t include all of the other jobs that come with it,” says Girling. “The State Department report includes about 42,000 jobs including all the direct and indirect jobs.”
The Calgary CEO maintains there is a “high probability” that the pipeline will be built and that demand continues to grow.
Raddatz spoke with Girling on the possibility of an oversupply.
“The United States still consumes about 15 million barrels each day and even with production increases only creates about 9-10 (million) of its own . It still needs to import 6-7 million barrels a day, everday… and I would say the best place to get that oil is from Canada,” says Girling.
Keystone would transport up to 800,000 barrels of Canadian crude to the Gulf Coast daily.
All 45 Senate Republicans support the bill; it would need 15 Democrat votes to pass.
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