Oil is flowing through new EPIC pipeline

 

The new EPIC pipeline designed to move crude oil from the Permian Basin to the Gulf Coast refineries has begun delivering crude to several terminals in Corpus Christi and Ingleside, Texas.

The delivery began in Crane, Texas and the new pipeline has the capability of moving up to 400,000 thousand barrels of oil a day to several terminals and refiners in the Corpus Christi area.

“Providing interim service adds much-needed takeaway capacity in the Permian Basin, which supports continued development and highlights the strategic value of our assets,” said Phillip Mezey, Chief Executive Officer of EPIC. “I would like to thank our employees, customers and contractors that enabled EPIC to provide this service to our shippers and the basin.”

Construction of EPIC’s 30” permanent crude line (the “Crude Oil Pipeline”) is well underway, with an overall completion rate of over 50%. The project remains on budget and the mainline is still expected to be complete in January 2020. The Crude Oil Pipeline will have an initial capacity of 600 MBbl/d, with throughput anticipated to begin ramping during the first quarter of 2020. Upon commencing operations on the Crude Oil Pipeline, EPIC will transition the Y-Grade Pipeline back to NGL service in the first quarter of 2020.

Additionally, the first EPIC crude export dock is scheduled to be in service before the end of the year and will be capable of loading Aframax-sized vessels. EPIC’s second crude export dock is also under construction and has a targeted in-service date during the second quarter of 2020. Once the second dock is complete, EPIC will have the capability to load a Suezmax vessel from its waterborne terminal.