Seeking to grow its energy base, Thailand has recently ordered thesteel to build a third major gas pipeline, which in time would trigger development of 2 trillion cubic feet of undeveloped Unocal reserves.
Plains Justice, a northern plains states public interest group, pointed out the first Keystone XL pipeline, which open last summer, was built with substandard steel from India.
Sirius proposes to process the ore at a site at Wilton, near Middlesbrough, and plans to transport it via a steelpipeline buried a minimum of 3ft 11in (1.2 m) below ground.