A crude oil pipeline that will run 485 miles from Cushing, Okla., to Southeast Texas should be under construction by late summer and operational in late 2013.

TransCanada, the builder of the Keystone Pipeline, is looking for workers, vendors and suppliers to help support the $2.3 billion project.

On Tuesday, TransCanada conducted a registration workshop in Beaumont, similar to others it has sponsored in other areas along the route.

"We'll need supplies, goods and services," TransCanada spokesman Jim Prescott said, listing fuel, tires, oil and welding sticks.

And, he said, "We anticipate it will create about 4,000 direct construction jobs across the 485 miles."

More than 100 vendors and people curious about a job had signed in to the three-hour event with about an hour left to go.