Phillips 66 to proceed to build fractionator, LPG export terminal in Texas

10-Feb-14

US refiner Phillips 66 will proceed with US$3 bln plans to build a natural gas liquids fractionator and an LPG export terminal in Texas, as per Platts. The 100,000 bpd "Sweeny Fractionator One" will be located in Old Ocean, Texas, near the company's Sweeny refinery. It will supply purity NGL products to the petrochemicals industry and heating markets starting in the third quarter of 2015. Y-grade (mixed NGL) supplies to the fractionator will come from nearby pipelines, including the Sand Hills Pipeline that Phillips 66 owns a one-third interest in. The Freeport LPG export terminal, expected online in mid-2016, will be located at the site of the company's existing marine terminal in Freeport, Texas. It will have an initial export capacity of 4.4 mln barrels per month, which is equivalent to 8 very large gas carriers, with a ship loading rate of 36,000 barrels per hour. Both projects will include NGL storage and additional pipelines linked to the market hub in Mont Belvieu, Texas. There will also be a 100,000 bpd de-ethanizer unit installed near the Sweeny refinery to upgrade domestic propane for export.