Enterprise Products Partners LP (EPP) is launching a series of projects to expand fractionation capacity by 55,000 b/d at its existing operations in Texas and Louisiana.
As part of the initiative, EPP plans to optimize its Shoup fractionator in Nueces County, Tex., by expanding and repurposing a portion of the partnership’s South Texas pipeline system, including construction of 21 miles of pipeline along with the conversion of 65 miles of existing natural gas pipeline to NGL service to enable EPP to supply Shoup with 25,000 b/d of additional NGL volumes, the operator said.
EPP said it expects the expanded pipeline to be available in third-quarter 2019.
Alongside the Texas project, EPP said it also plans to restart its 30,000-b/d Tebone fractionator in Ascension Parish, La., which is connected by pipeline to each of the partnership’s Louisiana gas processing plants, as well as its NGL fractionation and storage hub in Mont Belvieu, Tex.
Resumption of service at Tebone, which is due in first-quarter 2019, will complement EPP’s Norco and Promix fractionators, providing another option for NGLs delivered to Mont Belvieu.
“While we continue to expand our fractionation capacity, as evidenced by the addition of 300,000 b/d under construction at Mont Belvieu that is scheduled to be available in the first half of 2020, capacity will remain tight for the time being,” said A.J. Teague, chief executive officer of EPP’s general partner.
Optimization of the Shoup fractionator and restart of the Tebone fractionator highlights the flexibility of the partnerships integrated midstream network, which extends beyond the Mont Belvieu complex into South Texas and Louisiana and provides a timely, efficient and cost-effective solution for accommodating growing production from domestic shale basins, Teague said.
These latest projects follow the operator’s recent announcement that it would add another incremental 150,000-b/d expansion with the addition of an eleventh NGL fractionator at its existing NGL fractionation complex in Mont Belvieu, Tex., which will increase EPP’s NGL fractionation capacity to 1 million b/d in the Mont Belvieu area and about 1.5 million b/d companywide once service begins in second-quarter 2020 (OGJ Online, Oct. 31, 2018).
The October announcement of the Mont Belvieu expansion follows EPP’s earlier announced plan for a tenth 150,000-b/d NGL fractionator at the site which, now under construction, is scheduled to be completed during first-quarter 2020 (OGJ Online, Sept. 5, 2018).
Contact Robert Brelsford at [email protected].