TC Pipelines' Ruptured Keystone Pipeline Spilled Diluted Bitumen, Posing Challenge To Cleanup, Report Says

TC Pipelines LP TRP shut down the Keystone Pipeline System after an oil leak into a creek in Washington County.
The oil spill rupturing the Keystone pipeline was diluted bitumen, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said, adding complications to the cleanup.
Bitumen tends to sink in water, making it harder to collect than oils that float.
Related: Traders Fret On Supply Challenges, On No Timelines For TC Pipelines-Backed Keystone Pipeline.
The parts of the pipeline carrying oil from Alberta to refineries in Illinois opened on Wednesday at reduced capacity.
The ruptured portion extending from south of Steele City, Nebraska, to a storage hub in Oklahoma remains closed.
Citing the report, Reuters noted that when diluted bitumen spills, a thick, dense material forms as a residue after environmental exposure. The residue sticks to surfaces, sometimes sinking to the bottom of a water body.
"For this reason, spills of diluted bitumen pose particular challenges when they reach water bodies," the report said.
More than 400 people are involved in the cleanup.
The response team has so far recovered 5,567 barrels of an oil-water mixture from Mill Creek.
Price Action: TRP shares closed at $41.38 on Thursday.

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