Pennsylvania ethane line open season starts

Nov. 8, 2013
MarkWest Energy Partners LP and MarkWest Liberty Ethane Pipeline LLC are holding a binding open season for the Liberty Ethane Pipeline, part of a comprehensive ethane system in the Northeast US.

MarkWest Energy Partners LP and MarkWest Liberty Ethane Pipeline LLC are holding a binding open season for the Liberty Ethane Pipeline, part of a comprehensive ethane system in the Northeast US.

The pipeline system will include purity ethane transportation infrastructure and de-ethanization plants in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio.

Subject to the outcome of the open season and regulatory authorizations, the Liberty Ethane Pipeline will transport purity ethane from Majorsville, Pa., to Houston, Pa., by the end of this quarter. From there, shippers will have direct access to multiple, major ethane takeaway projects including Mariner West, Mariner East, and ATEX.

The binding open season will allow interested parties to make volume commitments and execute long-term transportation contracts with MarkWest Liberty for transportation on the Liberty Ethane Pipeline. Shippers making long-term volume commitments to MarkWest Liberty will be eligible to receive priority transportation service at a premium transportation rate for committed volumes. The open season ends Dec. 9.

MarkWest and Kinder Morgan announced plans earlier this year to open a 1,100-mile NGL pipeline to the Gulf Coast, expand rich-gas processing in northern Ohio, and add Gulf Coast fractionation capacity (OGJ Online, Aug. 9, 2013).