Construction has started on a rail-loading terminal in Utah’s Uinta Basin that could mean wax crude oil shipments for Oklahoma’s Cushing Hub and eventually on to Gulf Coast refineries.
The transportation by rail has resulted in the Supreme Court considering challenges by Colorado to stop the shipments. A news release indicated Wildcat Midstream has started work on expanding its Helper, Utah terminal to increase the export capacity.
The Helper terminal can currently load 42,000 barrels per day. The first phase of the expansion, set to be operational by July 2025, will increase the loading capacity to 66,000 barrels per day. The second phase, expected to be completed by late spring 2026, will further expand capacity to approximately 140,000 barrels per day. As part of this expansion, Wildcat has acquired 422 acres of land to the north of its existing facility in Helper.
Founded in 2018, Wildcat Midstream is a leading terminal operator in Utah, specializing in the purchasing, marketing, and transloading of Utah Wax crude. Current operations include 14 transloaders, 1,309 rail cars, three locomotives, and 43 employees split between Carbon County, Utah, and Fort Worth, Texas.