Rail expansion slated for crude-oil transload facility

Murex LLC and Cetane Energy LLC have agreed to a major capacity expansion of a crude-oil transloading facility in Carlsbad, New Mexico.

Expected to be completed in the third quarter, the expansion will include a 100,000-barrel tank, additional lease automated custody transfer units for offloading trucks and expansion of the existing rail-car loading rack, Murex and Cetane officials said in a press release.

The project includes more than 18,000 feet of track to accommodate unit train loading. The expansion will allow the facility to load up to 110 cars in one day, or 75,000 barrels of oil per day. Cetane also accommodates transloading of sand. Segregated entry and exit lanes for crude oil will alleviate any congestion between commodities, officials said.

"Murex and Cetane have worked closely with the BNSF Railway and Southwest Railroad to increase capacity of the Cetane crude oil trans-loading facility to one unit-train per day," said Murex President Robert Wright. "We believe this facility offers a unique, long-term and economical takeaway opportunity for Permian and Delaware Basin crude oil production."