Epic Y Grade Pipeline has started construction on the first phase of its 1046km long Epic NGL Pipeline, a natural gas liquids (NGL) pipeline to be laid out between Southeast New Mexico and Corpus Christi in Texas.
The pipeline will transport NGL reserves owned by producers in the Permian and Eagle Ford Basins to refiners, petrochemical companies and export markets in the Gulf Coast.
Expected to be ready in early 2019, the pipeline will have capacity of at least 375,000 barrels per day drawing NGL from multiple origin points in the Delaware and Midland Basins.
Epic NGL Pipeline will transport NGL such as ethanes, butanes, propanes and natural gas pentanes to interconnects near Orla, Benedum and Corpus Christi. An affiliate of Epic intends to construct a fractionation complex near the interconnects to facilitate the pipeline’s volume.
Apart from the fractionator, Epic will be installing purity pipeline systems which include an ethane system. The pipeline systems will span the upper Gulf Coast into the Markham area during the first phase.
Epic engineering and operations senior vice president Justin Gordon said: “The Epic Y Grade Pipeline provides an efficient solution to shippers’ NGL marketing and transportation needs.
“Our pipeline will be an NGL “Superhighway” providing customers’ volumes from the Permian Basin to Corpus Christi and will better serve the growing needs of the petrochemical and refining sectors along the U.S. Gulf Coast.”
The initial phase of the pipeline is planned to begin service in early 2018.
Oil and gas major BP’s subsidiary BP Energy had signed on as the anchor shipper of the NGL transported by the Epic NGL Pipeline. A capital commitment was secured for the pipeline project from funds managed by ARES Management.
The Epic NGL Pipeline will be built side-by-side through Texas with the 1,126km Epic Crude Oil Pipeline for most of the route.