Enterprise Products Partners Expands NGL Fractionation and Propane Dehydrogenation Capacity
Enterprise Products Partners has commenced operations at its latest natural gas liquids (NGL) fractionator and second propane dehydrogenation plant (PDH 2) in Chambers County, Texas.
Meeting Growing Demand
The newly launched fractionator contributes 150,000 barrels per day (bpd) of nameplate capacity. Backed by long-term customer agreements, this facility enhances Enterprise’s NGL fractionation capacity to 1.2 million bpd at the Chambers County complex. Enterprise’s total NGL fractionation capacity now stands at about 1.7 million bpd. This new fractionator is one of the significant projects worth $3.8 billion that have entered service in 2023.
A.J. “Jim” Teague, Co-CEO of Enterprise’s general partner, highlights the impetus behind this expansion: “The addition of our newest fractionator is being driven by growing domestic NGL production in the Permian Basin as new natural gas processing plants are brought online. We recently began service at our sixth gas processing plant in the Midland Basin, with three other Permian Basin gas plants expected to come online by the end of the first quarter of 2024. On the demand side, the additional volumes will provide much-needed feedstocks for the petrochemical and refining industries and products such as cleaner-burning, reliable propane for export to developing nations globally.”
Enhancing Propylene Production
Operated by long-term, fee-based contracts, PDH 2 can consume 35,000 bpd of propane, generating 1.65 billion pounds of polymer-grade propylene (PGP) annually. Combined with Enterprise’s existing PDH 1 plant, the company’s capability increases to consume 70,000 bpd of propane and produce 3.3 billion pounds of PGP yearly at the Chambers County facility. Enterprise’s total propylene production capacity now reaches 11 billion pounds per annum.
Teague emphasizes the significance of propylene as a foundational component for producing durable goods: “Propylene is the basic building block used to produce virtually all durable products and, as one of the main pillars of modern civilization, is essential to human survival and improved quality of life. PDH 2 will provide abundant and cost-advantaged shale-based, on-purpose production to supply our petrochemical customers with the feedstock to produce products that meet the needs of a growing global population. Our newest PDH plant is among $3.8 billion of major growth projects that we announced would begin service and generate new sources of cash flow by the end of 2023.”
Enterprise Products Partners continues contributing to the energy infrastructure landscape, meeting evolving industry demands and positioning itself as a pivotal player in propylene production and NGL fractionation.
