US-based midstream energy specialist Enterprise Products Partners has confirmed its plans to proceed with a key expansion project along the Houston Ship Channel in response to continued strong customer demand for natural gas liquids export capacity.
At the Enterprise Hydrocarbons Terminal (EHT), the company is adding refrigeration capacity that will increase propane and butane export capabilities by approximately 300,000 barrels per day (bpd). In addition to providing incremental capacity for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), the expansion will increase instantaneous loading rates for propane and butane, while making additional capacity available for propylene exports. The expanded service is scheduled to begin by the end of 2026.
Enterprise said the need for increased LPG capacity at EHT is being driven by the success the company has had in contracting flexible product capacity at its Neches River Terminal (NRT) being developed in Orange County, Texas, adjacent to the Beaumont East refined products terminal.
Phase one of the NRT buildout includes the addition of a new loading dock, an ethane refrigeration train with a nameplate capacity of 120,000 bpd, and a 900,000-barrel refrigerated tank that will accommodate loading rates up to 45,000 barrels per hour. Phase one is scheduled to begin service in the second half of 2025.
Phase two includes a second refrigeration train that will allow Enterprise to load up to 180,000 bpd of ethane, 360,000 bpd of propane, or a combination of the two. The second phase is scheduled to begin service in the first half of 2026.