The new unit will be capable of fractionating around 85,000 barrels per day ("BPD") of NGL.
The facility increases total fractionation capacity at the company’s Mont Belvieu unit to 570,000 BPD.
Enterprise Products said the unit will facilitate the increasing NGL production from domestic shale plays, including the Eagle Ford in South Texas, and other basins in the Rocky Mountain and Mid-continent regions.
The company is developing the seventh and eighth fractionators as part of a joint venture with Western Gas Partners, an affiliate of Anadarko Petroleum.
Enterprise will operate the new units and owns a 75% stake while Western Gas Partners will have a 25% interest in each of the two fractionators.
Enterprise’s general partner chief executive officer Michael Creel said the eighth fractionator is also running ahead of schedule and should be in-service by mid-fourth quarter 2013.
"Fractionators seven and eight will increase total capacity at the partnership’s Mont Belvieu complex to 655,000 BPD, compared to 400,000 BPD just three years ago," Creel said.
"System wide, Enterprise’s fractionation capacity will expand to more than 1 million BPD with the addition of the two new NGL fractionators."
