Enterprise building a new pipeline to connect Gulf Coast petrochemical network

Fuel Fix ^ | July 9, 2015 | Robert Grattan

[thackney]

Enterprise Products Partners said Thursday it would expand and retool two Gulf Coast petrochemical pipelines and build a new third line.

Houston-based Enterprise said the new projects will bring the company’s polymer grade propylene distribution system to a total length of 587 miles and connect the system to more than 30 petrochemical facilities along the Gulf Coast. The system is fed by six propane/propylene fractionators at Mont Belvieu that Enterprise owns.

Propylene is used as a feedstock for consumer plastics and other fibers, and comes in three grades. Refinery grade propylene is about 70 percent pure, chemical is 92-96 percent and polymer grade 99.5 percent.

Enterprise’s first announced project will convert the 149-mile North Dean pipeline from refinery grade propylene to polymer grade propylene by January 2017. The converted pipeline will run from Enterprise’s processing hub at Mont Belvieu and serve petrochemical facilities as far south as Seadrift, Texas in Calhoun County, the company said in an announcement. The line will also get a new 33-mile lateral extension, new metering stations and additional pumping capacity, bringing the total capacity along the route to more than 150,000 barrels per day.

The second project will convert the 263-mile, bi-directional Lou-Tex pipeline between Sorrento, Louisiana and Mont Belvieu from chemical grade propylene to carry polymer grade propylene.

The third is a proposed new 10-inch, refinery grade propylene pipeline running 65 miles from Sorrento, Louisiana to Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. The new line is slated to be in service by 2017.

Enterprise also said it will upgrade rail receipt points at Mont Belvieu to handle as many as 100 refinery grade propylene cars per day.

[thackney]

http://www.enterpriseproducts.com/systemMap/systemMap.shtm

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

That's a LOT of Saran Wrap, brother!