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Officials still hopeful Line 5 pipeline will go ahead

A pumpjack on the prairie. Alberta,

EDMONTON – As the pipeline wars between Canada and the U.S. continue, oilprice.com is reporting that Canada is still hoping to keep the cross-border Great Lakes pipeline open, despite the current battle with the State of Michigan.

Michigan’s governor Gretchen Whitmer has given Enbridge until May 13 to shut down Line 5, even though the U.S. relies heavily on Canada for much of its crude oil imports.

According to the latest reports, the U.S. consumes around 80 per cent of Canada’s crude output.

Michigan’s governor says, the closure of the almost-70-year-old pipeline would eliminate the risk of a major leak.

Line 5, built in 1953, is part of Enbridge’s mainland system, which carries fuel from Alberta’s oil sands to the midwestern United States and eastern Canada. It is a key conduit for refineries, which make gas, propane and home-heating oils, as well as jet fuels for airports in Toronto and Detroit.

Enbridge maintains the line is safe, and Canadian officials, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, have been appealing to their American counterparts for help.

Meantime oilprice.com is also reporting that African OPEC member Angola has signed a $5-billion memorandum of understanding with Zambia to study construction of oil and gas pipelines between those two countries.

According to officials there, this could create as many as 14,000 jobs in both countries.