Partners

Enterprise Products Partners LP overcame the effect of lower natural gas processing margins in its pipelines and services segment to deliver record gross operating margin during the first quarter, as well as a 16% increase in profits. Oil-related infrastructure put in a strong showing, particularly in the Eagle Ford Shale

Enterprise Products Partners LP overcame the effect of lower natural gas processing margins in its pipelines and services segment to deliver record gross operating margin during the first quarter, as well as a 16% increase in profits.

Enterprise Products Partners is considering repurposing a portion of its 1,373-mile Seminole pipeline, which currently transports natural gas liquids (NGL) from the Hobbs hub and the Permian Basin to markets in south Texas, including the Enterprise NGL fractionation facility in Mont Belvieu, TX.

Energy & Exploration Partners Inc. (E&E) on Monday acquired 57,275 net acres and 11 producing wells in the East Texas Eaglebine formation from a subsidiary of Chesapeake Energy Corp.

HollyFrontier Corp. and Holly Energy Partners LP are collaborating to construct a rail facility that will enable crude oil loading and unloading near HollyFrontier’s Artesia and/or Lovington, NM, refining facilities. The rail project, which will be connected to Holly Energy’s crude oil pipeline system in southeastern New Mexico, will have an initial capacity of up to 70,000 b/d and will enable access to a variety of crude oil types including West Texas Intermediate, West Texas Sour and Western Canadian Select. The project will provide additional crude oil takeaway options for producers as crude production in the region continues to grow, and an expanded set of crude oil sourcing options for HollyFrontier. Completion is expected by early 2014.

Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP (KMP) is holding a binding open season through May for capacity on the proposed 1,025-mile Freedom Pipeline LLC for transporting Permian Basin crude from Texas to refineries in both Southern and Northern California.

Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP (KMP) has contracted with Methanex Corp. to support the construction of methanol storage capacity near its Geismar Liquids Terminal (GLT) in Geismar, LA, and will embark on a $58 million expansion of its chemical storage. KMP said it will invest about $58 million to build, own and operate the storage tanks and related infrastructure, including improvements to its existing dock at GLT. The assets will provide marine, rail and truck access in support of a 1 million tonne per year methanol production plant being relocated by Methanex from Chile. The terminal infrastructure is expected to be in service during the second half of 2014, coinciding with the anticipated startup of the relocated plant. Separately, KMP has also acquired Quality Carriers Inc.’s 26-acre terminal located in Chester, SC. The 19-tank facility currently provides storage for a single customer of 35,000 bbl and receives product by rail and distributes by truck.

EOG Resources Inc. has struck a joint exploration and development agreement with Eaglebine formation partners ZaZa Energy Corp. in Walker, Grimes, Madison, Trinity and Montgomery counties, TX.

Britain’s Centrica plc has struck a 20-year sale and purchase agreement with Cheniere Energy Partners LP’s Sabine Pass Liquefaction LLC for 1.75 million metric tons per annum (mmtpa) of liquefied natural gas (LNG) with deliveries to begin as early as 2018. The contracted amount is equivalent to 91,250,000 MMBtu/year and with Sabine’s contract with Total Gas & Power North America Inc. (see NGI, Dec. 24, 2012), brings Train 5 contracted volumes to 3.75 mmtpa. Centrica, Sabine’s sixth LNG export customer, is to buy LNG on a free on board basis at a Henry Hub indexed price, plus a fixed component,. The 20-year contract, contingent on regulatory and financing approvals, begins on the date of first commercial delivery from Train 5 and has an extension option of up to 10 years. Centrica businesses include British Gas, which serves about 12 million homes in Britain, nearly half of the country’s homes, and Direct Energy, which has businesses in natural gas production, power generation and distribution in North America.