HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun. 20, 2012--
Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (NYSE: EPD) today announced that it
plans to build one of the world’s largest propane dehydrogenation
(“PDH”) units on the Texas Gulf Coast, with the capacity to consume up
to 35,000 barrels per day (“BPD”) of propane to produce up to 1.65
billion pounds per year (approximately 750,000 metric tons per year or
approximately 25,000 BPD) of polymer grade propylene (“PGP”). The
facility would integrate with Enterprise’s existing natural gas liquids
(“NGL”) and propylene facilities. Supported by long-term, fee-based
contracts executed with companies that have investment grade debt
ratings, the PDH facility is expected to begin commercial operations in
the third quarter of 2015.
From a propane feedstock supply perspective, the PDH unit would be
supported by Enterprise’s NGL fractionation and storage system on the
Texas Gulf Coast. By 2015, with completion of expansions that have
already been announced, Enterprise would have 708,000 BPD of NGL
fractionation capacity, which would provide up to 177,000 BPD of propane
supply. In addition, the facility would be supported by the
partnership’s approximately 100 million barrels of NGL and petrochemical
storage facilities in the Texas Gulf Coast region. In 2015, the PDH unit
would also be complemented by Enterprise’s 5.3 billion pounds per year
(approximately 2.4 million metric tons per year or approximately 80,000
BPD) of propylene fractionation capacity, which fractionates refinery
grade propylene to produce PGP. The integration of the PDH unit with
Enterprise’s propylene fractionation facilities would provide
operational reliability and flexibility for both processes. Enterprise
also has PGP storage facilities and a 102-mile pipeline system, capable
of delivering PGP to 18 downstream customers and to international
markets through the partnership’s propylene export terminal in Seabrook,
Texas.
“We are excited to announce the extension of our propane value chain
with the addition of the PDH facility,” said A.J. “Jim” Teague,
executive vice president and chief operating officer of Enterprise’s
general partner. “This project is a natural fit and integrates
beautifully with our midstream system of assets. With access to reliable
supplies of propane, this new facility will give us feedstock
flexibility in addition to providing our customers with unsurpassed
reliability and optionality. I want to congratulate our employees for
their creativity and drive as we pursue new opportunities to grow our
business and better serve our customers.”
Teague added, “The opportunity for this PDH project is directly
attributable to the success producers have achieved in the growth of
NGL-rich natural gas production through the development of the shale and
non-conventional resource plays in the United States. This has led to a
rebirth of the U.S. petrochemical industry. By switching their
feedstocks from more costly, imported crude oil derivatives to
domestically produced ethane, the U.S. ethylene industry is now one of
the lowest cost producers of ethylene in the world. The impact of this
change in feedstocks, however, has resulted in a decrease in the
associated production of propylene. Since 2006, the supply of propylene
as a co-product from the ethylene industry has decreased in the
aggregate by approximately 5.8 billion pounds and has contributed to
periodic shortages of propylene. Our PDH unit will utilize growing
supplies of domestically produced propane to provide another source of
competitively priced polymer grade propylene. This is a great success
story for the U.S. economy by helping to maximize the value of U.S.
energy production, investing in domestic energy infrastructure, creating
U.S. jobs and reducing U.S. reliance on imports of crude oil
derivatives,” stated Teague.
Construction and ongoing operation of the unit would require
approximately 1,500 to 2,000 temporary and full-time jobs. Enterprise is
working with local jurisdictions and the state of Texas to obtain the
economic development approvals necessary to site the PDH facility.
Enterprise Products Partners L.P. is one of the largest publicly traded
partnerships and a leading North American provider of midstream energy
services to producers and consumers of natural gas, NGLs, crude oil,
refined products and petrochemicals. The partnership’s assets include
approximately: 50,600 miles of onshore and offshore pipelines; 190
million barrels of storage capacity for NGLs, petrochemicals, refined
products and crude oil; and 14 billion cubic feet of natural gas storage
capacity. Services include: natural gas gathering, treating, processing,
transportation and storage; NGL transportation, fractionation, storage,
and import and export terminaling; offshore production platform
services; crude oil and refined products transportation, storage and
terminaling; petrochemical transportation and storage; and a marine
transportation business that operates primarily on the United States
inland and Intracoastal Waterway systems and in the Gulf of Mexico.
Additional information is available online at www.enterpriseproducts.com.
This press release includes “forward-looking statements” as defined
by the Securities and Exchange Commission. All statements, other than
statements of historical fact, included herein that address activities,
events, developments or transactions that Enterprise expects, believes
or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including anticipated
benefits and other aspects of such activities, events, developments or
transactions, are forward-looking statements. These
forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that
may cause actual results to differ materially, including required
approvals by regulatory agencies, the possibility that the anticipated
benefits from such activities, events, developments or transactions
cannot be fully realized, the possibility that tax or other costs or
difficulties related thereto will be greater than expected, the impact
of competition and other risk factors included in the reports filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission by Enterprise. Readers are
cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking
statements, which speak only as of their dates. Except as
required by law, Enterprise does not intend to update or revise its
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise.

Source: Enterprise Products Partners L.P.
Enterprise Products Partners L.P.
Randy Burkhalter, (713)
381-6812 or (866) 230-0745
Investor Relations
or
Rick
Rainey, (713) 381-3635
Media Relations