MarkWest Energy Partners LP is in the process of expanding its Bluestone Processing Facility in Western Pennsylvania by 400 MMcf/d.

The company expects the 200 MMcf/d Bluestone III to be in-service by the end of this year and the 200 MMcf/d Bluestone IV to be in-service by 1Q2016. It is also installing another 40,000 b/d of de-ethanization capacity and expects an additional 31,000 b/d of fractionation capacity to be online by the end of the year (see Shale Daily, May 12).

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has issued an air emissions permit and site work is currently underway, according to a notice posted in the state bulletin. The project also includes equipment upgrades at the facility, located in Butler County, including new electric compressor units to increase efficiency. The Bluestone facility currently offers 210 MMcf/d of natural gas processing capacity and 26,000 b/d of fractionation.

The company is also expanding its capacity at the Houston Processing and Fractionation facility in Southwest Pennsylvania by 200 MMcf/d, and a new 200 MMcf/d processing facility known as the Fox complex in the same area is expected to be in-service by the end of next year.

MarkWest is the region’s largest natural gas processor. Its expansion in Pennsylvania comes at the same time as it plans to increase its total Utica Shale capacity to 1.3 Bcf/d with the completion of two new plants in Ohio this year.

In all, MarkWest has 18 projects pending in the Northeast, 10 of which are expected to be completed this year (see Shale Daily, Feb. 3, 2014).