-LyondellBasell is restarting its steam cracker in La Porte, Texas, after a planned turnaround that began in March, Platts reports. The turnaround was scheduled to be complete June 20, but that timeline was pushed back due to unforeseen circumstances.
-The U.S. Commerce Department’s decision to allow two companies to export minimally refined condensates could result in the shelving of some proposed condensate splitter projects, FuelFix reports. Analysts say condensate splitters become a risky proposition if more producers are allowed to export condensate that has been processed by less expensive small-scale distillation towers located at well sites. Phillips 66 said in March it was considering a new condensate splitter at its Sweeny, Texas, refinery, and Magellan Midstream Partners recently announced plans for a new splitter at its Corpus Christi, Texas, terminal.
-Energy Transfer Partners’ board of directors has approved the construction of a 320,000-barrels-per-day crude pipeline from the Bakken shale to the company’s existing Trunkline Pipeline in Patoka, Ill. The connection to the Trunkline system will provide access to markets in the Midwest, East Coast and Gulf Coast regions.
-The U.S. has a slight edge over Canada in the LNG exports race, experts told the Financial Post. While the latter has approved more projects than the former to date, companies building LNG terminals in Canada face bigger obstacles in bringing their plans to fruition. Many U.S. projects are being built on brownfield sites with existing infrastructure and favorable terrain — a less formidable task than constructing a facility from scratch in the Canadian Rockies.
-Meanwhile, ICF International reported today that the U.S. needs more investment in ethane export capacity to avoid a supply glut, which could push down prices and make NGL production less viable.
