Gulf

Chevron Phillips Chemical Co. LLC and Qatar Petroleum (QP) are stepping up to take advantage of Lower 48 natural gas and plan to jointly develop a huge petrochemical plant on the Gulf Coast that would include an ethylene cracker and two high-density polyethylene units.

FERC has scheduled an environmental assessment (EA) for Gulf South Pipeline Co.’s (Gulf South) proposed Index 99 Expansion project, which would increase natural gas firm transportation to markets along the Gulf Coast.

Perhaps more than ever, all eyes will be on the South Central region for natural gas markets this summer as robust associated production from oil wells and a projected doubling of natural gas exports will propel the market into uncharted waters. Factor in the need to refill historically low storage inventories and the potential for a major storm to hit the Gulf Coast, and the market is ripe for significant — though likely brief — price volatility.

Natural gas pipeline capacity into the South Central region, the epicenter of anticipated demand growth from exports to Mexico and via liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals, is expected to climb to 19 Bcf/d by the end of the year, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Enterprise Products Partners LP (EPP) is on target to bring its Midland-to-Sealy crude oil pipeline in West Texas into full service by early second quarter after completing pump stations and storage facilities along the pipeline, CEO Jim Teague said Wednesday during a call to discuss 4Q2017 earnings.

ExxonMobil Corp. on Tuesday announced it would triple Permian Basin production to more than 600,000 boe/d by 2025, with tight oil output from the Delaware and Midland sub-basins alone increasing five-fold.

Global natural gas markets are well supplied, but the transformation from regional systems to interdependent markets is creating security challenges, including on the U.S. Gulf Coast, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in an annual assessment.

Hurricane Harvey’s flooding rains sharply reduced domestic and in turn global petrochemical production of linear alpha olefins (LAO), and operators still are scrambling to make up for the shortfall, according to IHS Markit.

November natural gas is expected to open 2 cents lower Friday morning at $2.90 as traders factor in a persistent loss of heating load and the emergence of yet another tropical storm. Overnight oil markets tumbled.