Several reports have come out that U.S. President-Elect Joe Biden is planning to shut down the Keystone XL Pipeline expansion project as one of his first actions in office, and although nothing has been confirmed, concerns are being raised by Saskatchewan politicians as well as members of the public.

The pipeline is set to send crude oil from Hardisty, Alberta through a direct route down to refineries in Texas, which would allow Canadian quicker transit and create more demand which would allow for Canadians to make more money off the oils sales. With concerns of the project being cancelled, Weyburn-Big Muddy MLA, Dustin Duncan, believes it would negatively affect those in Saskatchewan.

"It's disappointing if that's in fact going to be the move by the Biden administration," Duncan explained. "We've obviously been advocating for this project and other projects to move oil out of Canada."

The pipeline expansion was aimed to be in operation by 2023, which could make it part of the economic recovery of both the pandemic and the rest of the deficit that the country has seen going into 2020.

The reasoning behind the Biden Administration pulling the Keystone XL pipeline permit is yet to be known. 

"Obviously this was an expansion of an existing pipeline into the US," Duncan added. "but we certainly saw it as a benefit for Saskatchewan and Western Canada."

He says at this point it's a waiting game to see how things will play out. He adds that Premiere Scott Moe is currently addressing the issue.

Discover Weyburn will have more information regarding this as it becomes available.