Funding for two Southeast Texas midstream projects was approved in early February 2014 by Phillips 66's board of directors. Costs for the construction of a fractionator in Old Ocean, TX, announced in August of 2013, and a liquefied petroleum gas export terminal in Freeport, TX, are an estimated $3 billion combined.
According to Phillip's 66, the projects will create more than 50 full-time jobs and over 1,000 temporary construction jobs.
Read more: Phillips 66 Plans Gulf Coast Fractionator
“It’s an extraordinary time of opportunity for our company and our industry, especially in the rapidly growing midstream space,” said Tim Taylor, executive vice president, Phillips 66 Commercial, Marketing, Transportation and Business Development. “Given the anticipated growth in natural gas liquids production, we see substantial advantages in having fractionation and export facilities on the Gulf Coast outside of Mont Belvieu. These projects allow us to maximize our existing infrastructure and will position us for further growth.”
Fractionator Located Close to Sweeny, TX Refinery
The "Sweeny Fractionator One" will be located close to the company’s Sweeny Refinery, and will supply purity natural gas liquids (NGL) products to the petrochemical industry and heating markets. Y-grade (mixed NGL) supply to the fractionator will come from nearby major pipelines, including the recently completed Sand Hills Pipeline.
The 100,000 bbls per day NGL fractionator is expected to be completed and online in the third quarter of 2015.
Liquefied Petroleum Gas Export Terminal in Freeport, TX
The "Freeport LPG Export Terminal" will be located at the company’s existing marine terminal in Freeport, Texas, and will allow growth for Phillips 66's midstream, transportation and storage infrastructure on a global scale. According to the company estimates, the terminal will have an initial export capacity of 4.4 million bbls per month, with a ship loading rate of 36,000 bbls per hour. The export terminal is expected to come online in mid-2016.
Fractionators are used to separate a raw NGL stream into its various components (ethane, butane, propane, etc.)