Keystone pipeline prospects dim after U.S. Senate vote

A bill that may force U.S. President Barack Obama to make a decision on the Canada-Texas oil pipeline within 60 days passed the Senate on Saturday. Republican senators celebrated a small victory for a political manoeuvre that may compel the president to take an unpopular stance on a hot-button issue in the run-up to the 2012 election. The U.S. State Department said it would “almost certainly” turn down the project, even if the White House approves it. The State Department has postponed its decision until after next years’ election because it says it needs to study alternative routes for the pipeline. As currently proposed, TransCanada Corp’s 700,000 barrel-a-day oil pipeline would cross one of the country’s largest aquifers in Nebraska. The bill now moves to the Republican-led House of Representatives.

Reuters