South Bow restarts Keystone pipeline after safety administration approval

April 16 (Reuters) - South Bow SOBO.TO has restarted the Keystone pipeline system at a reduced operating pressure after approval from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), it said on Wednesday.

The 4,327 km (2,689 mile) Keystone pipeline, a major conduit for crude oil supply from Alberta to U.S. refineries in Illinois, Oklahoma and along the U.S. Gulf Coast, was shut down last week after an oil spill near Fort Ransom, North Dakota.

South Bow will continue monitoring the system 24/7, fully remediate the incident site, and share the investigation learnings as they become available, the operator said in a statement.

The PHMSA approved a restart under the terms of a corrective action order issued on April 11 but requires the pipeline to operate at reduced rates until the safety administration allows a ramp up.

The pipeline was pumping about 17,844 barrels of oil per hour when part of the pipeline ruptured last week, spilling an estimated 3,500 barrels onto agricultural land.