Reuters by Robert Campbell.  Despite what you may think, the delay or even cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline project from Canada to the United States does not ensure that China will become the go-to customer for Canada’s vast oil sands.  U.S. President Barack Obama has opted to avoid a tough decision by allowing the government to take more time to study changes to the proposed Keystone XL route to avoid environmentally sensitive areas.  But any delays could kill the project if customers grow impatient and seek release from their binding shipping commitments or if the cost of the line goes up substantially.  Doubtless this theme will be dredged up by Keystone’s backer, TransCanada and other oil industry lobbyists in Washington with an eye to fanning Americans’ fears about oil supply security should the Obama Administration opt for further study of fresh routes for the pipeline.  But the simple fact is that this claim is at best a huge exaggeration. If anything a pipeline from Alberta across the mountainous province of British Colombia is likely to face more scrutiny from environmental groups than Keystone XL.