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Enterprise Products Partners L.P., the exclusive supplier of RMG 380 residual marine fuel and marine gas oil (MGO) at its Enterprise Hydrocarbons Terminal (EHT) on the Houston Ship Channel, has announced that it will be raising its LPG loading capacity by around 30 percent within the next 15 months in a move that also looks set to have a positive effect on bunker sales volume at the EHT facility.

Enterprise said on Monday that construction is under way to increase its LPG loading capacity at EHT by 175,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 720,000 bpd, or approximately 21 million barrels per month.

Upon completion of the expansion project, EHT will have the capability to load as many as six very large gas carriers (VLGCs) simultaneously, whilst maintaining the option to switch between propane and butane loadings.

Once operational, Enterprise says the expansion will allow EHT to load a single VLGC in less than 24 hours, creating greater efficiencies and cost savings for clients.

The incremental capacity is expected to be available in the second half of 2019.

"Enterprise is already the largest exporter of propane in the world and this expansion project will increase our ability to export LPGs from the EHT facility by another 30 percent with nominal capital investment," commented A.J. ('Jim') Teague, chief executive officer of Enterprise's general partner.

"Domestic production of hydrocarbons continues to exceed expectations and US demand. US LPG production currently exceeds US demand by over one million barrels per day and domestic export terminals are approaching full utilization. We estimate that US LPG production could increase by up to an additional 1.5 million barrels per day by 2025. Without access to international markets, excess LPG supplies would lead to a curtailment in US crude oil and natural gas production growth. Marine terminal expansions like ours will be essential to balancing the market and meeting growing global demand for US hydrocarbons," Teague stressed.

Bunkering operation

Since June 1, with the addition of bunkering capabilities at EHT, Enterprise has been meeting the fuelling needs of deep-draft vessels that dock at the EHT facility and primarily use RMG 380 and MGO.

Both RMG 380 and MGO are delivered to the terminal by barge and stored in dedicated tanks with a storage capacity of approximately 300,000 barrels. Pipelines then transport the residual and distillate fuels to each of EHT's seven docks.

Speaking in June, Teague explained: "Being able to fuel ships as they load and offload product at our EHT marine terminal significantly streamlines the process, saving our customers time and money by not having to stop at a third party facility."

Contact details for Enterprise Products Partners' bunker-selling brand, Enterprise Marine Fuels, have been provided below and can also be accessed via the Bunker Index directory.

Enterprise Marine Fuels
Telephone: +1 713 381 6723
Telephone: +1 713 381 6500
Email: bunkers@eprod.com
Website: www.enterpriseproducts.com

Address:
1100 Louisiana Street
10th Floor
Houston TX 77002
United States