KMI brings second Texas condensate splitter online

July 15, 2015
Kinder Morgan Inc., Houston, has commissioned the second of two splitters at the company’s new petroleum condensate processing facility located near its Galena Park terminal along the Houston Ship Channel.

Kinder Morgan Inc., Houston, has commissioned the second of two splitters at the company’s new petroleum condensate processing facility located near its Galena Park terminal along the Houston Ship Channel.

With a processing capacity of 50,000 b/d, the second condensate splitter entered operation in late June and began producing on-spec products as of this month, KMI said on July 15 in its quarterly earnings report to investors.

The company commissioned the first 50,000-b/d condensate splitter at the processing complex during this year’s second quarter, with the unit producing on-spec material as of March (OGJ, June 1, 2015, p. 70).

The 100,000-b/d project, which is supported by a long-term, fee-based agreement with BP North America, required a total investment of about $436 million, KMI said.

Designed to split condensate produced from the Eagle Ford shale in South Texas into light and heavy naphtha, kerosine, diesel, and gas oil, the complex connects to about 2 million bbl of product storage capacity at the Galena Park terminal as well as integrated access to multiple-destination markets at the US Gulf Coast and abroad.

In a January presentation, KMI said design of the complex provides the possibility for addition of a third splitter that could expand total processing capacity at the site to 150,000 b/d.

Contact Robert Brelsford at [email protected].