HEP
Howard Energy Partners' recently expanded terminal facility in Port Arthur TX.
Howard Energy Partners' recently expanded terminal facility in Port Arthur TX.
Howard Energy Partners' recently expanded terminal facility in Port Arthur TX.
Howard Energy Partners' recently expanded terminal facility in Port Arthur TX.
Howard Energy Partners' recently expanded terminal facility in Port Arthur TX.

HEP completes bulk liquid storage expansions in Texas

June 21, 2019
HEP recently completed the Texas expansions of its bulk liquid terminal facilities in Port Arthur and Corpus Christi.

Howard Energy Partners (HEP) recently completed the Texas expansions of its bulk liquid terminal facilities in Port Arthur and Corpus Christi.

The completion of these projects increases 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 connectivity through wholly owned pipelines to seven refineries, HEP said. The company began operating terminal facilities in 2014.

“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 Brad Bynum, HEP co-founder and president. “We currently have more than 470 acres for additional Gulf Coast expansion projects, including significant water frontage.

“We will continue to work closely with our customers to understand their needs and evaluate growth projects that create beneficial results for all participants within the supply chain.”

The Port Arthur facility expansion consisted of 12 new tanks, four butane bullets, two barge docks, one ship dock and a 6.5-mile, bidirectional pipeline, HEP said. With the completion of these additional assets, HEP can blend gasoline with up to six separate components at delivery rates of up to 40,000 barrels per hour to meet specific regional and international quality specifications. This allows customers to optimize the value of the molecules specific to each market.

The expanded Port Arthur facility now consists of:

  • 16 tanks with 1.35 million barrels of storage capacity
  • Four butane bullets, with a total capacity of 360,000 gallons
  • 8.8 miles of rail track with the capacity to load one unit train per day consisting of up to 94 cars, and the track capability to handle up to five unit trains simultaneously within the facility
  • Three barge docks, all with vapor control capability
  • One ship dock, capable of loading ships at rates of up to 40,000 barrels per hour, allowing for the loading of one 500,000- to 750,000-barrel ship every other day
  • One bidirectional pipeline

HEP also said permitting and engineering for a second ship dock is nearing completion.

The company acquired a majority interest in the Port Arthur facility in 2015. Strategically located on approximately 450 acres of land on Taylor Basin and Taylor Bayou, the facility is 13 miles from the Gulf of Mexico via the Sabine Neches Waterway, with inland barge access to the terminal via the Intracoastal Waterway. In 2017, HEP reconfigured the assets from a railcar-to-barge crude oil operation, to a barge-to-railcar refined products operation.

The terminal can handle a variety of bulk liquids, including refined motor fuels, crude oil and condensate.

About the Author

Informa Commercial Vehicle Staff