Howard Energy expands rail-served bulk terminal facilities in Texas

Howard Energy Partners (HEP) announced last week that it has completed expansions of its bulk terminal facilities in Port Arthur and Corpus Christi, Texas.

The projects were designed to increase HEP's Gulf Coast terminal storage capacity to 2.6 million barrels with three ship docks, three barge docks, unit train loading capacity for up to two trains per day and direct pipeline connections through wholly owned pipelines, company officials said in a press release.

BNSF Railway Co. and Union Pacific Railroad serve the Port Arthur facility, while BNSF, UP and Kansas City Southern serve the Corpus Christi location.

“The substantial expansions at our Port Arthur and Corpus Christi facilities signify HEP’s commitment to designing and constructing fully-engineered facilities that are tailored to meet the exact needs of our customers,” said President Brad Bynam. "We currently have more than 470 acres for additional Gulf Coast expansion projects, including significant water frontage."

The Port Arthur facility expansion consisted of 12 new tanks, four butane bullets, two barge docks, one ship dock and a 6.5-mile, bi-directional pipeline. The terminal can handle bulk liquids including refined motor fuels, crude oil and condensate.

HEP recently contracted with an existing customer to load additional unit trains at the Corpus Christi bulk liquids terminal facility, bound for new destinations in Mexico. As part of the contract, HEP is acting as an agent to assist with oversight of the engineering, procurement and construction of a new receiving terminal in northern Mexico.

When completed later this year, the new receiving terminal will increase the use of HEP’s 65,000 barrels-per-day rail loading facility, company officials said.

Currently, HEP delivers 35,000 barrels-per-day of refined petroleum products by unit trains to locations in central Mexico.