Pin Oak acquires expansion site near KCS line in Corpus Christi

Energy company POTAC LLC (Pin Oak) yesterday announced it acquired 236 acres for expansion near its terminal in Corpus Christi, Texas.

The site — which is next to a Kansas City Southern mainline and Corpus Christi rail yard — can accommodate more than 10 million barrels of bulk liquids storage, as well as the construction and operation of a full unit train, Pin Oak officials said in a press release.

The company plans to connect the site through a short distance pipeline to its main site at the Port of Corpus Christi ship channel in order to offer customers additional tank capacity, as well as rail loading and unloading capabilities through an operational Union Pacific Railroad connection and KCS, they said.

"Pin Oak is in a unique position to offer its customers a full logistics solution through its direct refinery connections, Suezmax vessel and barge dock capabilities, truck loading and unloading bays, and direct access to two Class I railroads," said Mike Reed, chief executive officer of Pin Oak Holdings LLC.

Pin Oak's main terminal is under construction, with brownfield expansion of more than 2 million barrels of crude storage. The terminal will be a necessary outlay for Permian and Eagle Ford crude, company officials said. The connection into the Gray Oak pipeline also is under construction.

Pin Oak is a partnership between Dauphine Midstream LLC and Mercuria Energy Group Ltd.