NGL Processing
At the core of our natural gas processing business are 29 processing plants located in Colorado, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Texas and Wyoming. Natural gas processing plants remove the NGLs from the natural gas stream, enabling the natural gas to meet transmission pipeline and commercial quality specifications. On an energy equivalent basis, NGLs generally have a greater economic value as a raw material for petrochemical and motor gasoline production than their value as components of the natural gas stream. After extraction by the processing plants, the mixed NGLs are typically transported to a centralized facility for fractionation into purity NGL products such as ethane, propane, normal butane, isobutane and natural gasoline.
For more information on our NGL Processing assets, please view our Form 10-K annual report for the most recent period.
Extensive and Connected Pipeline Network
Our NGL pipelines transport mixed NGLs from natural gas processing facilities, refineries and marine terminals to downstream fractionation plants and storage facilities; gather and distribute purity NGL products to and from fractionation plants, storage and terminal facilities, petrochemical plants, refineries and export facilities; and deliver propane and ethane to destinations along our pipeline systems.
For more information on our NGL pipeline assets, please view our Form 10-K annual report for the most recent period.
NGL Fractionation
Our NGL fractionation facilities process mixed NGL streams into purity NGL products: ethane, propane, normal butane, isobutane and natural gasoline. We own NGL fractionation facilities in Texas and Louisiana which process mixed NGLs from several major NGL supply basins in North America, including the Permian Basin, Rocky Mountains, Eagle Ford Shale, Mid-Continent and San Juan Basin. Our largest NGL fractionation complex is located in Chambers County, Texas. Our Chambers County, Texas NGL fractionators are connected to our network of NGL supply and distribution pipelines, approximately 130 million barrels of underground salt dome storage capacity, along with access to international markets through our marine terminals located on the Houston Ship Channel.
For more information on our NGL Fractionation assets, please view our Form 10-K annual report for the most recent period.
NGL Storage
Our storage facilities are important components of our midstream energy infrastructure. We use underground storage caverns (or wells) and above ground storage tanks to store mixed and purity NGLs, petrochemical and refined products owned by Enterprise and our customers. We operate substantially all of our NGL and related product storage facilities. Our largest underground storage facility is located in Chambers County, Texas. This facility consists of 38 underground salt dome caverns used to store and redeliver mixed and purity NGLs, petrochemicals and related products. In total, we have approximately 177 million barrels of net usable storage capacity across our NGL and related products storage assets.
For more information on our NGL Storage assets, please view our Form 10-K annual report for the most recent period.
NGL Marine Terminals
We own and operate marine terminals (export and import) that handle NGLs. The Enterprise Hydrocarbons Terminal (“EHT”) is located on the Houston Ship Channel and provides terminaling services to exporters, marketers, distributors, chemical companies and major integrated oil companies. EHT has extensive waterfront access consisting of eight deepwater ship docks and a barge dock. The terminal can accommodate vessels with up to a 45 foot draft, including Suezmax tankers, which are the largest tankers that can navigate the Houston Ship Channel.
EHT can load refrigerated cargoes of low-ethane propane and/or butane (collectively referred to as LPG) onto multiple tanker vessels simultaneously. Our LPG export services continue to benefit from increased NGL supplies produced from domestic shale plays, international demand for propane as a feedstock in ethylene and propylene production, and for power generation and heating purposes. EHT also includes an NGL import terminal and provides terminaling services involving crude oil, propylene and refined products.
The Morgan’s Point Ethane Export Terminal, located on the Houston Ship Channel, has a nameplate loading capacity of approximately 10,000 barrels per hour of fully refrigerated ethane and is the largest of its kind in the world. The terminal supports domestic production of U.S. ethane from shale plays by providing the global petrochemical industry with access to a low-cost feedstock option and opportunities for supply diversification.
For more information on our NGL marine terminals, please view our Form 10-K annual report for the most recent period.
Locate Our NGL Assets