Keystone Pipeline Restarts After North Dakota Spill: What Happened, and What Comes Next

After a six-day shutdown triggered by a spill in North Dakota, the Keystone Pipeline—a major oil artery running from Alberta, Canada, to Texas—has officially resumed operations under closely monitored conditions.

The pipeline’s operator, South Bow, announced on Monday that it would begin a controlled restart of the pipeline after completing repairs, testing, and safety inspections at the site of the incident near Fort Ransom, North Dakota. According to the company, all actions were approved by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), which remains involved in the ongoing investigation.

A Quick Response and Contained Spill

The incident began last Tuesday when a mechanical bang was heard by a worker at the Fort Ransom site. Within two minutes, pipeline operations were shut down, a testament to modern monitoring protocols and emergency response training. The spilled oil was contained within an agricultural field, with no injuries, water contamination, or structural damage reported.

The failed section of the pipe has since been excavated, replaced, and is now en route to a Houston-based metallurgical lab for forensic testing. In the meantime, the pipeline is operating under reduced pressure, and South Bow has committed to 24/7 monitoring and full compliance with PHMSA’s corrective action order.

This incident marks another reminder of the high stakes associated with major energy infrastructure and the importance of both robust emergency protocols and ongoing federal oversight.

STW Enviro Perspective: Preparedness and Protection Go Hand-in-Hand

At STW Enviro, we support safe, responsible energy infrastructure that balances operational efficiency with environmental protection. The Keystone incident, while fortunately contained, reinforces a truth we’ve long stood by: even the most advanced systems need backup plans, rapid response tools, and ground-level stability.

Our work is not about opposing pipelines—it’s about making sure that when incidents occur, they’re contained, controlled, and resolved with minimal harm to people, land, and water.

• TransSeal, our soil stabilization and dust control solution, is ideal for pipeline right-of-ways and work zones, helping reduce erosion, minimize environmental runoff, and maintain access roads under all weather conditions.

• Pristine Sea, our oil spill response technology, is built for rapid deployment, offering operators a mobile, scalable solution for isolating and containing spills before they spread beyond control.

As weather patterns grow more unpredictable and pipelines stretch across thousands of miles of mixed terrain, having the right infrastructure safeguards is more than a best practice—it’s a necessity.

The Bigger Picture

Incidents like the Keystone spill often reignite debate around pipeline safety and energy policy. While scrutiny is both necessary and healthy, it’s also important to acknowledge progress. In this case, swift response times, immediate shutdown, and containment prevented the spill from becoming a larger environmental issue.

As the PHMSA continues its investigation, the focus will rightly shift to ensuring the integrity of the line, understanding what went wrong, and preventing recurrence. These steps are essential not just for public trust, but for the long-term resilience of North America's energy infrastructure.

At STW Enviro, we’ll continue working at the intersection of industry and environmental responsibility, providing tools and solutions that help operators stay one step ahead—because when it comes to environmental safety, preparedness is the strongest pipeline we can build.

Conclusion

The Keystone Pipeline has restarted operations after a controlled spill in North Dakota led to a six-day pause. No injuries or structural damage occurred, and the leak was quickly contained. The PHMSA continues to oversee the investigation.

STW Enviro supports the safe operation of energy infrastructure and emphasizes the need for environmental safeguards, emergency response tools, and site stabilization solutions like Pristine Sea and TransSeal to prevent and contain spills efficiently.