Access Midstream Partners LP, formerly Chesapeake Midstream Partners LP, reported that net income jumped more than 25% year/year in part because of increased business in the Marcellus and Barnett shales.

Global Infrastructure Partners LP (GIP), which helped Chesapeake Energy Corp. form a midstream business three years ago, paid $4 billion in June to buy most of the profitable arm, which it rebranded as Access Midstream (see Shale Daily, June 11).

Access earned $51.6 million in 2Q2012, which was $10.5 million higher than in the year-ago quarter. Adjusted earnings were $120.9 million, which was 53% higher than in 2Q2011, when the unit earned $79.3 million. Revenue in the latest period rose 12% from a year ago to $149.3 million from $133.2 million.

“The strong operating and financial results in the 2012 second quarter are further evidence of the partnership’s ability to produce consistent results for our investors,” said Access CEO J. Mike Stice. “This quarter continued to show the strong organic growth within our existing footprint. This sustained exposure to the most prolific unconventional plays in North America will be an important competitive advantage for many years to come.”

Throughput in the latest quarter totaled 261.0 Bcf, or 2.87 Bcf/d, which was one-third higher than in 2Q2011, when throughput was 2.15 Bcf/d.

“The increase was driven by throughput from gas gathering systems in the Marcellus Shale acquired in December 2011 as well as increased throughput in the Barnett Shale,” Access noted.

Last December the partnership agreed to pay $865 million to acquire Appalachian Midstream Services LLP, giving it 47% of an integrated system of assets that includes close to 200 miles of gathering pipelines in the Marcellus (see Shale Daily, Jan. 3). The gathering lines are co-owned by Chesapeake, Anadarko Petroleum Corp., Statoil ASA, Mitsui & Co. Ltd. and Epsilon Energy Ltd.

The partnership said it also connected 179 new wells to its gathering systems in the latest period, which was more than 25% higher than a year ago.

Capital expenditures totaled $154.2 million, including maintenance capital expenditures of $18.5 million. “With the expected increase in Marcellus capital spending, the partnership is on track to meet the current capital expenditure outlook of $734 million for 2012,” the management team said.