Energy Transfer to Expand Texas NGL Export Terminal
Energy Transfer LP on Thursday announced a project to raise the capacity of the Nederland NGL Export Terminal on the Sabine-Neches Waterway between Beaumont and Port Arthur, Texas.
"The project will increase ethane export capacity at Nederland by 240,000 barrels per day (bpd), along with 55,000 bpd of additional LPG capacity", the Dallas, Texas-based midstream company said in a press release. "One hundred percent of the ethane export capacity has been committed in long-term agreements running into the 2040's".
The Nederland terminal has exported over 430 million barrels of ethane since 2021, according to Energy Transfer.
"As part of these transactions, Energy Transfer will also expand its Mont Belvieu to Nederland NGL export pipeline capacity to service the increased refrigeration capacity and construct two additional NGL ship docks", Energy Transfer added.
"The company expects its previously announced expansion of the Nederland refrigerated propane and butane storage tanks to 1.2 million barrels and 0.8 million barrels, respectively, to be available in the first half of 2027.
"These assets, along with Energy Transfer’s existing 1.3 million barrel refrigerated ethane tank, provide the largest refrigerated storage capacity for each of these products of any export complex on the U.S. Gulf Coast".
It expects to put into service the Nederland expansion project in stages from 2028.
"Following the anticipated completion of the additional docks in mid-2029, the refrigerated NGL export capacity at Nederland will be greater than 1.25 million bpd", Energy Transfer said.
Along with another project to increase the Marcus Hook NGL Export Facility's capacity to 420,000 bpd mid-2027, the Nederland expansion project will grow Energy Transfer’s total NGL refrigerated export capacity to about 1.7 million bpd.
In other expansion projects, Energy Transfer started up the Gateway NGL Pipeline debottlenecking project in the first quarter, increasing deliveries of Delaware Basin output to Energy Transfer's NGL fractionation complex at Mont Belvieu.
"Construction is also underway on a new 3-million-barrel ethane storage cavern at Energy Transfer’s NGL fractionation complex at Mont Belvieu", Energy Transfer said in its quarterly report May 5. "The cavern, which is expected in service in second half of 2027, will support Energy Transfer’s ninth fractionator at Mont Belvieu, as well as future ethane export expansions".
Additionally, it has put one of four pipelines onstream to supply about 300 million cubic feet per day (MMcfd) of gas for power generation in Oklahoma. Two more are expected to start up in the third quarter, while the fourth will follow suit in 2028.
The quarterly report also said the 275 MMcfd Mustang Draw I gas processing plant would enter full operation this month.
Energy Transfer expects to invest $5-5.5 billion in growth projects this year, mainly for its natural gas network, according to its Q4 2025 report on February 17, 2026.
To contact the author, email jov.onsat@rigzone.com
What do you think? We’d love to hear from you, join the conversation on the
Rigzone Energy Network.
The Rigzone Energy Network is a new social experience created for you and all energy professionals to Speak Up about our industry, share knowledge, connect with peers and industry insiders and engage in a professional community that will empower your career in energy.