Protesters shut down Canada-US oil pipelines: UpdateOREANDA-NEWS. October 12, 2016. An environmental group physically shut down several major pipelines that deliver Canadian crude to the US, including TransCanada's 590,000 b/d Keystone pipeline.

Pipeline operator Enbridge confirms claims made by environmental group Climate Direct Action that activists shut down Line 4 and Line 67 in Minnesota. The 796,000 b/d Line 4 and the 800,000 b/d Line 67 run from Edmonton, Alberta, to Superior, Wisconsin.

Other companies confirm that the activists forced the shut down of a portion of the Keystone pipeline at Walhalla, North Dakota, and Spectra Energy's 280,000 b/d Express pipeline in Coal Banks Landing, Montana.

Climate Direct Action also claimed it shut Kinder Morgan's 300,000 b/d Trans-Mountain pipeline in Anacortes, Washington, but Kinder Morgan said it was not operating through that portion of the line at the time.

Climate Direct Action said the coordinated actions were taken to "avert climate catastrophe" and called on President Barack Obama to use emergency powers to keep the pipelines closed. The group also said the protest was done in solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and its fight to block construction of Energy Transfer's 470,000 b/d Dakota Access pipeline.

Police have arrested nine of the activists who participated in shutting down the pipelines, Climate Direct Action said.

Enbridge said it temporarily shut down lines 4 and 67 out of an abundance of caution to protect communities and first responders, but didn't anticipate any impacts to deliveries.

Enbridge said the activists engaged in criminal acts including trespassing on the facility, using bolt cutters to cut chains off valves and then attempting to turn the valves to stop the flow of oil.

"These are criminal acts that endanger the public and the environment," an Enbridge spokesman said. "We take this very seriously and will support prosecution of all those involved."

Spectra Energy said it temporarily shut down a section of the Express pipeline after the trespassers broke into a locked facility and tampered with a valve.

"Our first concern is for the safety of the community and the environment, and tampering with this important US energy infrastructure will not be tolerated," the company said.

Kinder Morgan Canada said that trespassers broke into a location on Trans Mountain's Puget Sound system in Washington state, but that portion was not operating at the time and the actions did not cause the release of any product. Local authorities responded and three individuals were arrested.

"We are conducting a thorough inspection to ensure the integrity of the pipeline system," Kinder Morgan said.

TransCanada said that trespassers broke onto its property in North Dakota and attempted to disrupt the Keystone system. The company said it shut down the system as a precaution to ensure the safety and integrity of the pipeline.