Washington: The Trump administration has issued a permit to energy company TransCanada to build
the Keystone XL pipeline, reports BBC.
The State Department said it had found the project, which was blocked by former US President Barack Obama, to be in the US national
interest.
The 1,180mile (1,900km) pipeline will carry tar sands oil from Canada to refineries on the Texas coast.  
President Trump, who in January signed an executive order backing the project, is due to make an announcement.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson recused himself from the matter because of his previous role as chief executive of ExxonMobil.
The permit was approved by an undersecretary of state for political affairs, career diplomat Tom Shannon.
TransCanada still needs to receive approval of the pipeline's route through the US state of Nebraska.