Now that half of Oklahoma is officially Indian land, oil industry could face new costs and environmental hurdles

The landmark Supreme Court decision gives the five tribes a say over oil and gas wells, refineries, and pipelines — including those running to the Cushing hub of the Keystone XL, legal experts say.

About a quarter of Oklahoma’s recent oil and gas wells and around 60 percent of its refinery capacity now lie within the territory of five tribes — the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek and Seminole.

Perhaps more importantly, the network of pipelines pumping crude to and from Cushing, Okla. — a crucial oil terminal for the Keystone XL — spider-web across the redrawn reservation borders.

Read more at The Washington Post.

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