US Enterprise resumes operations at Mont Belvieu, terminals S Texas

HOUSTON (ICIS)–Enterprise Products has resumed normal operations at its major operations in Texas following disruptions caused by Hurricane Harvey, the US-based midstream company said on Tuesday.

The company’s complex in Mont Belvieu, Texas, has resumed commercial service, Enterprise said. This includes the company’s eight fractionators and six propylene splitters as well as an isomerisation facility and an octane enhancement unit.

The octane enhancement unit can produce isobutylene and either isooctane or methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), according to the company’s annual report.

Mont Belvieu is important to the nation’s petrochemical industry because it is the nation’s main natural-gas-liquids (NGL) hub, where the material is processed, stored and distributed.

NGL storage is tied to brine ponds, and Enterprise continues to monitor these, the company said. So far, NGL storage remains operational and brine containment has stabilised. Enterprise has not curtailed NGL fractionation or storage services.

In addition, Enterprise’s marine terminals have returned to service, although these continue to operate under various port restrictions, the company said.

In the Houston Ship Channel, Enterprise has resumed loading ethane, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and polymer-grade propylene (PGP) on to ships, it said. Its Seaway marine terminals in Texas City and Freeport have also resumed service.

Enterprise’s marine terminals in Beaumont are operational, but they are not receiving ships because the port is closed to traffic, the company said.

Enterprise’s refined products terminal in Port Arthur is down because of high water, it said.

In south Texas, the company has restored full operations at its eight natural gas processing plants and two NGL fractionators, the company said. Its pipelines in the region are in commercial service.

Overall, the company has not suffered significant damage to any of its facilities, it said. However, some critical third-party service providers have issued curtailments and allocations.