As fight over Keystone XL drags on, oil industry vastly expands its pipeline network

America is in a crude oil pipeline boom, with about 3.3 million barrels per day of capacity coming online since 2012.

New pipelines are being built from western North Dakota, through the Midwest and across Texas. The expansion is a counterpoint to the federal stalemate over the Keystone XL pipeline, which would carry Canadian tar sands oil to the Gulf Coast.

While the Keystone project remains in limbo, the U.S. has expanded its crude oil pipeline network by about a quarter in the last decade.

The domestic pipelines face a smoother regulatory path than those crossing international borders. State agencies are generally more receptive to the oil industry and consider new pipelines in the public interest. Environmental groups have had little success in challenging domestic pipelines.