A natural gas liquids (NGL) fractionation plant operated by Enterprise Products Partners LP and an oil products terminal operated by El Paso Corp., which are both located in Geismar, LA, were ordered closed July 1 by the U.S. Coast Guard until they comply with new maritime security codes that took effect this month.

The closures, which involve an Ascension Parish dock used by the two companies, are expected to only marginally impact operations at the jointly owned facilities. Both El Paso and Enterprise mostly use trucks and pipelines to transport butane, propane and other products made at their facilities.

Houston-based Enterprise was planning to send its 30,000 bbl/d of NGLs that the plant handles through another pipeline for fractionation until the facility is approved to re-open, according to spokesman Randy Burkhalter. He estimates it will take about two weeks to bring the facilities into compliance, which will involve fencing off the two plants’ operations.

The facilities were closed for non-compliance under the U.S. Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA) and the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code, a suite of U.S. maritime and international security requirements. Known as “Operation Port Shield,” the Coast Guard is checking on the compliance of facilities and vessels calling on U.S. ports. The Coast Guard imposed cargo restrictions on the Ascension Parish dock, which means the companies were barred from using the dock to handle cargoes considered dangerous.

The nation’s 361 ports, including New Orleans, were required to begin implementing the security plans developed in December under the MTSA. The act was drafted in response to concerns about vulnerabilities at U.S. ports after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and it allows for civil penalties of up to $25,000 per violation.

Nationally, the Coast Guard has reviewed more than 12,300 vessel and facility security plans, and 164 owners and/or operators nationwide have received a notice of violation with civil penalties for missing submission deadlines or other planning deficiencies. If violations are found, the Coast Guard may require facility or vessel operators to implement additional security measures, limit the operations of the vessel or facility or shut down the operations entirely.

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