The head of the U.S. Senate energy committee, Joe Manchin, on Feb. 9 urged President Joe Biden to reverse his opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline, saying the project provides union jobs and is safer than transporting the oil via trucks and trains.
Biden revoked a permit for the pipeline which would transport 830,000 bbl/d of heavy crude from Canada’s Alberta to Nebraska. It was part of a flurry of Biden’s executive orders aimed at curbing climate change.
SEE MORE:
No Ordinary Joe: Manchin’s Pivotal Role on Shale, Climate in a Divided Senate
In a letter to fellow Democrat Biden, the West Virginia senator said that even without the pipeline, the oil would still find its way to the United States by rail and truck, and pointed to U.S. data showing those methods result in more spills than pipelines.
“Pipelines continue to be the safest mode to transport our oil and natural gas resources and they support thousands of high-paying, American union jobs,” Manchin said.
Opponents of TC Energy Corp.’s pipeline project say building such infrastructure would lock in decades of dependence on oil, making it harder to transition to clean energy.
Manchin said he supports “responsible” energy infrastructure development including the Mountain Valley pipeline, which would take natural gas from Manchin's state to Virginia.
That project, led by Equitrans Midstream Corp., is one of several pipelines that have been delayed by regulatory and legal fights with states and environmental groups.
Fourteen attorneys general, led by Austin Knudsen of oil-producing Montana, also urged Biden in a separate letter to reverse his decision on the Keystone permit.
Manchin’s support for big pipelines underscores the difficulty that Biden could have moving wide-ranging climate legislation through Congress given Democrats have only the slimmest possible majority in the Senate.
Recommended Reading
Hess Corp. Boosts Bakken Output, Drilling Ahead of Chevron Merger
2024-01-31 - Hess Corp. increased its drilling activity and output from the Bakken play of North Dakota during the fourth quarter, the E&P reported in its latest earnings.
W&T Offshore Adds John D. Buchanan to Board
2024-04-12 - W&T Offshore’s appointment of John D. Buchanan brings the number of company directors to six.
Exxon, Chevron Tapping Permian for Output Growth in ‘24
2024-02-02 - Exxon Mobil and Chevron plan to tap West Texas and New Mexico for oil and gas production growth in 2024, the U.S. majors reported in their latest earnings.
TechnipFMC Eyes $30B in Subsea Orders by 2025
2024-02-23 - TechnipFMC is capitalizing on an industry shift in spending to offshore projects from land projects.
CEO: Coterra ‘Deeply Curious’ on M&A Amid E&P Consolidation Wave
2024-02-26 - Coterra Energy has yet to get in on the large-scale M&A wave sweeping across the Lower 48—but CEO Tom Jorden said Coterra is keeping an eye on acquisition opportunities.