Enterprise Products Partners plans to build the Mentone West 2 plant in the Delaware Basin to further expand its natural gas processing capabilities in the Permian Basin.
The new plant is located in Loving County, Texas, and will have a processing capacity of more than 300 million cubic meters. feet of natural gas per day (million cubic feet per day) and produces more than 40,000 barrels per day (bpd) of natural gas liquids (NGL). The plant is expected to begin operations in the second quarter of 2026.
Elsewhere in the Delaware Basin, Enterprise has begun maintenance of its Mentone 3 natural gas processing plant, which is also capable of processing more than 300 million cubic feet of natural gas per day and producing more than 40,000 barrels of natural gas per day. The Mentone West 1 plant (formerly known as Mentone 4) is being built as planned and is expected to be operational in the second half of 2025. Upon completion of the project, the enterprise will have a processing capacity of more than 2.8 billion cubic meters. feet per day (bcf/d) of natural gas and produces more than 370,000 barrels of natural gas per day in the Delaware Basin.
In the Midland Basin, Enterprise said its Leonidas natural gas processing plant in Midland County, Texas, has begun operations and construction of its Orion natural gas processing plant is on schedule and expected to begin operations in the second half of 2025. The plants are designed to process more than 300 million cubic meters. feet of natural gas per day and production of more than 40,000 barrels of natural gas per day. After completion of the Orion project, Enterprise will be able to process 1.9 billion cubic meters. feet of natural gas per day and produce more than 270,000 barrels per day of natural gas liquids. Plants in the Delaware and Midland basins are supported by long-term dedication and minimal production commitments on the part of the manufacturers.
“By the end of this decade, the Permian Basin is expected to account for 90% of domestic LNG production as producers and oil service companies continue to push boundaries and develop new, more efficient technologies in one of the world’s richest energy basins.” Enterprise is driving this growth and providing safe and reliable access to domestic and international markets as we expand our natural gas processing network,” said AJ “Jim” Teague, Enterprise general partner and co-CEO. ”
In other company news, Enterprise is commissioning Texas West Product Systems (TW Product Systems) and beginning truck loading operations at its new Permian terminal in Gaines County, Texas.
The facility has approximately 900,000 barrels of gasoline and diesel fuel and a truck loading capacity of 10,000 barrels per day. The company expects the rest of the system, including terminals in the Jal and Albuquerque areas in New Mexico and Grand Junction, Colorado, to become operational later in the first half of 2024.
“Once established, the TW product system will provide reliable and diverse supply to historically underserved gasoline and diesel markets in the southwestern United States,” Teague said. “By repurposing segments of our integrated midstream Gulf Coast network that provides access to the largest U.S. refineries with over 4.5 million barrels per day of production capacity, TW Products Systems will provide retailers with an alternative source of access to petroleum products capabilities, which should result in more low fuel prices for consumers in West Texas, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah.”
To supply the terminal, Enterprise is upgrading portions of its Chaparral and Mid-America NGL pipeline systems to receive petroleum products. Using a bulk supply system will allow the company to continue shipping blended LNG and purity products in addition to gasoline and diesel.