TransCanada expects to choose an alternative route through Nebraska after an approval by the US government.
TransCanada president and chief executive officer Russ Girling said Keystone XL will transport US crude oil from the very large Bakken supply basin in Montana and North Dakota, along with Canadian oil, to US refineries.
"Our application for a Presidential Permit builds on more than three years of environmental review already conducted for Keystone XL," Girling added.
"It was the most comprehensive process ever for a cross-border pipeline and that work should allow our cross border permit to be processed expeditiously and a decision made once a new route in Nebraska is determined."
The company stated the environmental review process includes the already reviewed route in Montana and South Dakota, meeting the concerns related to the project, which should allow it to be cleared quickly.
In April, TransCanada submitted a report to the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) to assess alternative routing corridors for Keystone XL that avoids the Sandhills.
Alternative routing corridors and a preferred corridor were submitted to the NDEQ on April 18, which will help finalize a specific route, which will be submitted as part of the presidential permit application.
Once the permits are received, TransCanada expects to begin construction of the pipeline in the first quarter of 2013, with the completion no later than early 2015.
