First-of-its-kind facility makes ethane available by truck at the Marcus Hook Industrial Complex
Sunoco Marketing to provide Marcellus ethane for R&D, refrigeration, manufacturing
Marcus Hook, PA, Oct. 9, 2017 –Sunoco Partners Marketing and Terminals today announced the commissioning of a new ethane distribution facility inside its Marcus Hook Industrial Complex, establishing a new outlet for ethane from the Marcellus Shale.
Sunoco Partners, a subsidiary of Energy Transfer Partners L.P. (NYSE: ETP), is the first company in the U.S. to provide refrigerated liquid ethane for truck delivery. The service meets a demand for various ethane uses, from energy research and development to cooling and other industrial applications. The new truck rack can load two trucks at once and is expandable to handle additional demand.
Ethane is transported to the Marcus Hook Industrial Complex from the shale fields of Western Pennsylvania via the Mariner East pipeline system.
Sunoco Partners, owner of the Marcus Hook facility, has seen the interest in domestic ethane uses take off since the Mariner East 1 pipeline first began delivering natural gas liquids in 2014. The new ethane facility provides customers the ability to deliver truckloads and ISO containers of ethane for use in chemical feedstock, BTU and refrigerant applications, and is expected to create additional business opportunities.
Gas Innovations, based in La Porte, Texas, is Sunoco Partner's first customer at the facility and loaded the first truck Sept. 21. Gas Innovations will provide ethane via truck and cryogenic ISO containers, and also repackaged compressed ethane in tube trailers and cylinders, to companies throughout the U.S., as well as international customers. The numerous uses and applications include:
- Research and development in the manufacture of ethane-fueled power generation equipment and facilities;
- Refrigeration for manufacturers and storage terminals;
- Enhanced oil recovery at well sites;
- Manufacture of electronics.
Previously, Gas Innovations purchased its ethane in Europe, as U.S. suppliers lacked the capacity to market ethane in smaller batches.
"For us, it complements our product line with a safe, secure, quality solution to provide ethane to our unique customer base," said Ashley Madray, Vice-President, Gas Innovations. "We are proud to be the first company in North America to ship refrigerated liquid ethane by truck."
In addition to supplying ethane to the Marcus Hook Industrial Complex, the Mariner East 2 pipeline, currently under construction, will provide ethane to fuel a new electrical generating facility currently under development in Cambria County, Pennsylvania.
About Energy Transfer Partners
Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. (NYSE: ETP) is a master limited partnership that owns and operates one of the largest and most diversified portfolios of energy assets in the United States. Strategically positioned in all of the major U.S. production basins, ETP owns and operates a geographically diverse portfolio of complementary natural gas midstream, intrastate and interstate transportation and storage assets; crude oil, natural gas liquids (NGL) and refined product transportation and terminalling assets; NGL fractionation; and various acquisition and marketing assets. ETP's general partner is owned by Energy Transfer Equity, L.P. (NYSE: ETE). Sunoco Partners Marketing and Terminals, owner and operator of the Marcus Hook Industrial Complex, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. For more information, visit the Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. website at energytransfer.com.
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