Enterprise to Export First Ethane Cargo from U.S. Gulf Coast in August

HOUSTON, July 28 (Reuters) – Enterprise Products Partners on Thursday said the first ship to load ethane for export from its new terminal on the Houston Ship Channel will arrive on Aug. 1, the first such export of the light natural gas liquid from the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Exports from the terminal are expected to ramp up to 1.9 million barrels per month by the end of the year, executives said on Thursday during the company’s second quarter earnings call.

Enterprise said it was currently in the process of commissioning the ethane export facility, as well as its Waha natural gas processing plant in the Delaware Basin.

The company also said three liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cargo loadings from its Houston Ship Channel export terminal were cancelled in July, and five have been cancelled in August. The negative impact of those cancellations was offset by an increase in exports of polymer grade propylene, as well as cancellation fees.

Enterprise said it loaded a record nine cargoes of polymer grade propylene in July and expects to load nine more in August. Those cargoes mostly went to destinations in the Western Hemisphere, executives said.

Separately, the company said it estimates its natural gas processing plant in Pascagoula, Mississippi will return to operation by the fourth quarter. A fire knocked the facility out of service in late June. (Reporting by Liz Hampton; Editing by David Gregorio)

(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016.

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