Southern Keystone XL Segment Crosses Halfway Mark

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP/Staff) – A TransCanada spokesman says construction on the Oklahoma and Texas portion of the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline is halfway complete. The larger pipeline still waits for federal approval because it crosses the Canadian border, but TransCanada spokesman David Dodson says construction on the smaller segment should be finished by the end of the year. He says about 850 workers in Oklahoma and 3,000 more in Texas are working on the project in mostly temporary jobs. The pipeline would transport 700,000 gallons of oil daily from the pipeline hub in Cushing, Oklahoma, to refineries near Houston. It will run through much of East Texas, including eastern Smith County. At least 10 Oklahomans have been arrested recently for trespassing in protests against the pipeline at construction sites in the state.