Pipeline operator Enterprise Products Partners signed long-term agreements with Chevron Corp to develop Enterprise’s Sea Port Oil Terminal (SPOT) in the Gulf of Mexico.
The American midstream natural gas and crude oil pipeline company said in a release that its SPOT project consists of onshore and offshore facilities, including a fixed platform located approximately 30 nautical miles off the Brazoria County, Texas coast in approximately 115 feet of water.
SPOT is designed to load Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) at rates of approximately 85,000 barrels per hour, or up to approximately 2 million barrels per day. The SPOT design also meets or exceeds federal requirements and, unlike existing and other proposed offshore terminals, is designed with a vapor control system to minimize emissions.
The long-term agreements with Chevron support Enterprise’s final investment decision. Construction of SPOT is subject to obtaining the required approvals and licenses from the federal Maritime Administration, which is currently reviewing the SPOT application.
“We are very pleased to announce these agreements with Chevron,” said A.J. “Jim” Teague, Chief Executive Officer of Enterprise’s general partner. “As a result, we are announcing our final investment decision for our offshore crude oil terminal, subject to government approvals.”
“The SPOT facility provides opportunity to significantly expand our export capacity and access multiple market centers as we increase our crude oil produced out of the Permian.” said George Wall, President of Chevron Supply and Trading, a division of CUSA.
With the flexibility to allocate loading across multiple export facilities, Enterprise will optimize its Houston Ship Channel facilities by creating additional capacity to load growing LPG, ethane and petrochemical export volumes.
As domestic crude oil and NGL production continues to exceed U.S. demand and marine terminals approach full utilization, projects like SPOT and the expansion of Enterprise’s LPG, ethane and petrochemical capabilities will be essential to balancing the market and meeting global demand for U.S. production.