Called Berne II, the new facility has a processing capacity of 200 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d). It will increase the company’s processing capacity in the Utica and Marcellus shale formations to 800MMcf/d.
The company already operates a 200MMcf/d plant at the Berne Complex, and two 200MMcf/d plants at Natrium natural gas processing and fractionation complex in Marshall County, West Virginia.
The Berne and Natrium complexes are connected through a 30-mile, Y-Grade pipeline.
Blue Racer CEO Stephen Arata said: "The beauty of Blue Racer’s Super System is in the strategic placement of assets, which provides optionality and coverage.
"We have the ability to pick up gas virtually anywhere in the Utica, get it to one of our facilities for processing and deliver residue gas and purity products to multiple markets."
The company plans to build a fifth processing plant in the first half of 2016, to meet the increasing demand in the region.
"We continue to make significant expansions to our network by positioning assets where our producers need them to achieve connectivity to major residue markets, optionality for liquids and the best possible price realizations," Arata added.
Blue Racer’s gathering network includes approximately 650 miles pipeline, which covers 13 Ohio counties and extends into Wetzel County in West Virginia. The company is currently working on an additional 200 miles of gathering lines.
