Houston-based EPIC Midstream loaded its first shipment of crude oil from the IGC marine terminal located in the Inner Harbor of the Corpus Christi Ship Channel.
The IGC terminal, formerly the International Grain Port Terminal, was repurposed by EPIC beginning in June 2019 to enable it to export crude oil while EPIC’s larger export terminal is still under construction.
“EPIC’s ability to provide crude oil transport out of the Delaware and Eagle Ford Basins and onto export vessels is strategic both for the company and for continued upstream development within the two basins,” said Brian Freed, President of EPIC.
“As increasingly more Texas crude oil production finds its way to the most competitive gateway on the entire U.S. Gulf Coast, the Port of Corpus Christi continues its record-breaking economic evolution as the true Energy Port of the Americas,” said Sean Strawbridge, Chief Executive Officer for the Port of Corpus Christi.
Once completed, EPIC’s marine terminal will consist of two separate dock facilities: the West Dock and the East Dock.
The West Dock, IGC, is currently in service and can load up to Aframax-sized tankers (capable of transporting up to 750,000 barrels) at a maximum loading rate of 20,000 barrels per hour. The East Dock, located adjacent to the West Dock, is a greenfield dock facility that will load up to Suezmax-sized tankers (capable of transporting up to 1,000,000 barrels) at a maximum loading rate of 40,000 barrels per hour.
EPIC expects the East Dock to commence operations in the third quarter of 2020.
The Port of Corpus Christi currently is the U.S. third-largest port by total revenue tonnage and is the second-largest exporter of U.S. crude oil.