DURANT, OK - The Gulf Coast phase of the Trans-Canada pipeline project is set to start construction in Texoma this summer. Today Jalah Gray talked with a project director visiting Durant about what it will mean for local communities.

TransCanada's Jim Prescott says there are several major benefits that come with the building of this pipeline.

"Lot of jobs, lot of taxes a lot of business for local companies, suppliers, vendors, services." said Prescott.

"In Oklahoma we're dependent upon sales tax."

Durant Mayor Jerry Tomlinson says a few years ago a gas line project that came through Bryan County drove sales tax revenue to a record high.

"As a matter of fact Durant has not exceeded those numbers since." said Mayor Tomlinson.

A work site that will be set up just outside Durant city limits will bring jobs and pump money into the economy, but Prescott says the pipeline will also strengthen U.S. energy security.

"Every barrel of oil we get from Canada is one less barrel of oil that we have to get from Venezuela or Saudi Arabia or other less than dependable less than reliable sources of oil." Prescott said.

Prescott says there are more refineries from Corpus Christi to the Mississippi river than anywhere else in the world.
And when that supply chain of oil is disrupted it sets off a negative domino effect through the U.S. Economy.
He believes pipelines may have prevented some major issues during the hurricanes of 2005.

"The problem when we saw the price at the pump go up almost over night, by a lot, was not because those refineries were damaged it was because all those tankers were sitting out in the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic ocean and they couldn't get in." said Prescott.

TransCanada is currently working out the details for the connection from Cushing through Bryan County down to the Gulf.

"That's the project we're proceeding with now, and we look to start construction with the Gulf Coast project sometime later this summer, some time in August." said Prescott.