Enterprise Products Partners L.P. has purchased a 36 acre piece of land adjacent to its Enterprise Crude Houston (ECHO) crude oil terminal, that is currently under construction in southeast Harris County. The ECHO facility is expected to bring service in the second quarter of 2012 and the acquisition is to increase its oil storage capacity to about 6 million barrels. The terminal is located near two large-diameter pipelines including the Seaway system which gives shippers access to the largest concentration of refineries and the Cushing storage and trading hub. The ECHO terminal is being developed as a regional pricing point for the U.S. Gulf Coast market and will serve as the receipt point for delivery of crude from the Eagle Ford Shale play in South Texas.
The completion of Enterprise’s 146mile pipeline is expected for the second quarter of 2012 and will have a 350,000bpd capacity. Expected to be in service in the beginning of next year, Phase II of the system will include an 80mile pipeline that extends the partnership’s system into the far southwest portion of the Eagle Ford Shale play. The phases are both anchored by long-term contracts with shippers.