Sabrina Fang | 202.682.8114| fangs@api.org

WASHINGTON, April 22, 2011 ─ API today welcomed thesupport from Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin and the state's two U.S. Senators James Inhofe (R) and Tom Coburn (R) for the Keystone XL pipeline. The officials sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton calling for the expeditious approval of a cross-border permit for the Keystone XL pipeline.

“This critical energy project will give the United States economy a shot in the arm by creating thousands of American jobs,” said API executive vice president Marty Durbin.  “Given the current global uncertainty, we need to improve our energy options by using nearby Canadian resources. Investing in Canadian crude oil will provide a stable, secure, and affordable energy source for generations to come.”

This latest letter of support from theOklahoma political leaders emphasized the crucial need to enhance America’s energy security saying, “The present situation in Libya, and its impact on global energy markets, underscores the increasing importance of satisfying U.S. energy demands with resources from politically stable regions of the world. The Keystone XL pipeline, which seeks to connect Canada’s rich oil sands to U.S. refineries along the Gulf Coast, is critically important in this effort.”

The lawmakers are joined in their support for the Keystone project by Oklahoma U.S. Representatives Frank Lucas (R-3rd), Dan Boren (D-2nd), Tom Cole (R-4th) and John Sullivan (R-1st), as well as the State Chamber of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Trucking Association, Continental Resources, Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association of Oklahoma, Kay County, Ponca City Development Authority and Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett.

“Oil sands development in Canada will create more than 340,000 U.S. jobs and generate about $34 billion in revenue for the U.S. government,” said Durbin. “The Keystone project has passed numerous analysis and reviews over the last two years. American pipeline workers are trained and ready to start work as soon as the government permit is issued.”

API represents more than 470 oil and natural gas companies, leaders of a technology-driven industry that supplies most of America’s energy, supports more than 9.2 million U.S. jobs and 7.5 percent of the U.S. economy, delivers more than $85 million in revenue daily to our government, and, since 2000, has invested over $2 trillion in U.S. capital projects to advance all forms of energy, including alternatives.