EPP to further expand Houston Ship Channel LPG-export capacity

Enterprise Products Partners LP (EPP) will further expand its LPG export terminal on the Houston Ship Channel (HSC), increasing its ability to load fully refrigerated, low-ethane propane by 1.5-million bbl/month. EPP will enhance the terminal’s refrigeration to increase total design capacity to about 9 million bbl/month upon first-quarter 2015 project completion.

EPP completed an expansion of its LPG export terminal in March that increased its propane loading capacity to roughly 7.5 million bbl/month from 4 million bbl/month. At the time, EPP also expanded the scope of its long-term terminal service agreement with Oiltanking Partners LP, the terminal owners, to increase the number of docks available to load LPG export vessels and support further expansion of EPP’s export capacity (OGJ Online, Mar. 7, 2013).

The terminal currently loads more than 8 million bbl/month. EPP expects it to continue to perform at this level citing increased production of NGLs from domestic shale plays and growing demand for propane as a feedstock for global ethylene crackers. The company started operations at its seventh NGL fractionator at Mont Belvieu, Tex., earlier this month as part of a joint venture with Western Gas Partners LP (OGJ Online, Sept. 18, 2013).

EPP also is developing two refined products export terminals on the US Gulf Coast, one in Beaumont, Tex., and one on the HSC, both tied the company’s existing Southern Complex of refined products pipeline, storage, and terminal infrastructure. The reactivated Beaumont terminal is set to enter service first-quarter 2014 handling Panamax-size vessels, followed in mid-2014 by HSC terminal expansions to handle Aframax-size ships (OGJ Online, May 30, 2013).

Contact Christopher E. Smith at [email protected].