HOUSTON�Mitchell Energy & Development Corp., The Woodlands, Tex., said it would expand the processing capacity at its Bridgeport, Tex., natural gas processing plant to 310 MMcfd from 210 MMcfd. Gas liquids production from the plant would increase to over 27,000 b/d from 19,000 b/d.
Expansion of the plant, northwest of Fort Worth, will provide the capacity needed to handle rising gas supplies resulting from accelerated drilling by Mitchell and other producers. Over the next 3 years, daily gas volumes delivered to Bridgeport are expected to increase from the current 205 MMcfd to almost 300 MMcfd, Mitchell said.
The cost of the expansion project will total about $15 million, increasing Mitchell's 2000 capital budget to $236 million. Construction is scheduled to start in July, with a start-up date set for December. Both engineering design and equipment procurement are well under way, the company said.
After the expansion, the plant will be capable of 90% ethane recovery and will use minimum fuel and power, said Mitchell Chairman and CEO George P. Mitchell. "We believe this will give us a cost advantage in attracting incremental gas volumes from other producers, and we plan to aggressively compete for these new supplies," he said.
