Well, I'm not exactly "in the loop", but the feeling up here is that Obama is going to be making a decision about the Keystone XL pipeline within the next few weeks, and everyone is waiting for that decision before making future plans.

Note that the "Keystone" pipeline system already exists. The "XL" portion of the Keystone pipeline system is and expansion to the existing pipeline; albeit long additions that would take the pipeline system all the way to the Gulf of Mexico.

The Keystone pipeline (and the proposed XL additions) are owned by TransCanada Pipelines, which is the largest pipeline operator in Canada.

http://missouri-news.org/wp-content/...p-KWD2.jpg.jpg

But, I agree with the general gameplan that TransCanada Pipelines is taking on this. The Athabasca tar sands are going to be producing huge quantities of oil for decades to come, and it doesn't make sense not to plan for that future by building expensive pipelines to transport that oil in the most economical way over the long haul. So, as it stands right now, the fact that the oil will be moved by pipeline is more certain than where or when that pipeline will be built.