TransCanada Files for Federal Permit for Keystone XL

Trench, baby, trench!

Hat tip to an eager reader: TransCanada cast its vote for more oil on Election Day, filing its application for a Presidential permit to build the Keystone XL Pipeline from Phillips County, Montana, to the Texas Gulf Coast.

Funny: Eager Reader points out that just a few days previously, TransCanada CEO Hal Kvisle was telling investors Keystone XL (a.k.a. Keystone Phase II) might be delayed 18 months by troubles in the oil sands. But hey, this is federal paperwork, so might as well get it in early, get the process moving.

Now remember, Keystone XL is the project that will slice across West River South Dakota from Harding County down to south of Winner (see map at TransCanada's website). We'll see if our West River neighbors are any more amenable to giving up their property rights to a foreign corporation than were some East River landowners along Keystone I. Eminent domain, anyone?

It appears that the filing opens a 30-day public comment period. For those of you so inclined:

Interested parties are invited to submit, in duplicate, comments relative to this proposal on or before December 4, 2008 to J. Brian Duggan, Room 4843, Office of International Energy and Commodity Policy, Department of State, Washington, DC 20520. The application and related documents that are part of the record to be considered by the Department of State in connection with this application are available for inspection in the Office of International Energy and Commodity Policy during normal business hours.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: J. Brian Duggan, Office of International Energy and Commodity Policy, Department of State, Washington, DC 20520, telephone 202-647-1291, facsimile 202-647-8758, e-mail DugganJB@state.gov. [See Federal Register, November 4, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 214), Notices, Page 65713; see also that notice as press release at TradingMarkets.com.]