Capacity

After growing by an estimated 600,000 b/d in 2018, natural gas liquids (NGL) are expected to see a slower pace of growth in the next couple of years amid possible headwinds from demand and the timeline for infrastructure projects entering service, particularly Energy Transfer LP’s (ET) Mariner East 2 (ME2) pipeline and its companion Mariner East 2X (ME2X), according to BofA Merrill Lynch.

Supported by increased crude oil production in the Permian Basin, ExxonMobil Corp. said Tuesday it has reached a final investment decision to build a unit at its Beaumont refinery east of Houston to increase capacity by more than 65%, or 250,000 b/d.

Natural gas futures slid a few cents Thursday as weather data provided little certainty on temperature trends past the second week of November, while government storage data that missed to the bullish side of most estimates failed to impress.

U.S. Silica Holdings Inc., one of the largest sand providers in the onshore, reported double-digit growth for oil and gas volumes as more mining facilities opened in its largest service area, the Permian Basin.

Pipeline capacity constraints in the crowded Permian Basin won’t lead to any sharp pullback but they have led to opportunities elsewhere in the U.S. onshore, many of the largest domestic producers said last week.

A 30-inch diameter pipeline to carry Permian Basin oil supply to the Texas Coast has enough support to move forward, a quartet led by Energy Transfer Partners LP (ETP) said Tuesday.

Fracture sand provider Black Mountain Sand is expanding into the Anadarko Basin with construction underway on its sixth mine, the first outside Texas.

Medallion Pipeline Co. LLC has long-term commitments in hand to expand six segments of a Permian Basin oil pipeline system that runs through the Midland sub-basin, and is gauging interest in additional capacity because of “compelling interest,” CEO Randy Lentz said.

With Permian Basin growth in its sights, Crestwood Equity Partners LP this week unveiled a wide-ranging strategy with the launch of a cryogenic plant in West Texas, more takeaway capacity and a key contract.