JupiterMLP, a privately held midstream company that provides Permian-Delaware Basin producers and gas plants with crude oil and plant condensate logistics and offtake solutions, recently secured the necessary permits from the Port of Brownsville Authority, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), and the US Army Corps of Engineers to begin construction improvements on Liquid Cargo Dock in the Port of Brownsville.
Securing these permits was a major milestone for the company and approves loading/unloading vessels of up to 65,000 deadweight tons or Panamax sized vessels at a permitted rate of up to 30,000 barrels per hour at the Jupiter Export Terminal, which will be directly connected to the Permian Basin via pipeline. In addition to the planned dock improvements, Jupiter has also secured all required permits to construct multiple rail racks capable of loading/unloading crude oil and refined products.
“We are pleased at the progress made by our permitting, engineering and construction teams, as well as the outstanding cooperation we have had from the Port, the TCEQ and the USACE over the past several years,” said Tom Ramsey, chief executive officer of Jupiter. “Obtaining all these initial governmental and regulatory approvals marks a crucial step forward in developing a world-class facility for the export of American crude oil.”
Jupiter also received approval to construct up to 2.5 million barrels of storage for hydrocarbons with the capacity to blend refined products including diesel and gasoline. The permit granted to Jupiter enables the blending of components to meet US and Mexico gasoline specifications.
To increase on-water handling capacity, the company announced the start of the permitting and engineering process for two additional private docks inside the port. With the combination of the improvements to Liquid Cargo Dock and the two private docks at the Jupiter Export Terminal, the company anticipates having the capacity to load/unload up to one million barrels of crude/products per day. Jupiter already exports refined product through the Port of Brownsville. It expects the terminal to be fully operational in 2020.
As part of the update, the company said it commenced the engineering, permitting and design of a project, known as the Jupiter Offshore Loading Terminal, to construct an offshore Very Large Crude Carrier loading facility six miles off the coast of Texas.