Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP (KMP) plans to spend $54 million to build an interconnect and other facilities for its Kinder Morgan Crude and Condensate (KMCC) pipeline after entering into a long-term transportation agreement with Republic Midstream Marketing LLC. Republic will construct a gathering pipeline from Lavaca County, TX, to the new interconnection at KMP’s DeWitt Station, near Cuero, TX. KMP also will build two storage tanks (each with 120,000 bbl of capacity), truck offloading racks and related facilities. The project is expected to come online in June. The deal with Republic gives KMP access to additional Eagle Ford production areas in Gonzales and Lavaca counties, said Don Lindley, KMP president of natural gas liquids. “We have now secured long-term commitments for more than 75% of the 300,000 b/d of capacity on KMCC,” he said. “Including joint ventures and other projects, KMP’s planned investments related to Eagle Ford crude and condensate opportunities currently total approximately $1 billion, all of which are supported by long-term customer contracts.”