June 29, 2020 [Tank Storage Mag] – US midstream company Empire Pipeline has bought a 300,000 bbl capacity crude oil terminal in Gibson, Louisiana, US, from Equilon Enterprises and Shell Oil Company.

 
Gibson Terminal occupies a 30 acre (12 ha) site and is connected to the Intracoastal Waterway, an inland navigable route running from Massachusetts to Texas. The terminal has storage and blending facilities, three docks for loading and unloading and a truck receiving station. It receives sweet and sour crude from the Ship Shoal Pipeline System, the Atchafalaya Pipeline, and the Magellan Pipeline, while offtake is largely transported by pipeline to the St. James Terminal located between New Orleans and Baton Rouge.

Empire Pipeline already owns a number of pipelines and midstream businesses through affiliated companies and is looking to expand its portfolio. Everard W. Marks III, Founder of Empire Pipeline, says that buying the terminal marks an expansion into crude oil terminalling.

‘The terminal’s location and operational capabilities are extremely attractive, and we look forward to providing additional market optionality for crude oil transport and blending capacity through our planned installation of a bi-directional pipeline connection to the Zydeco pipeline,’ he says, adding: ‘Being a local business, we look forward to economic development and job creation for our local communities through our further development of the Terminal’s capabilities and its resulting position as a critical crude oil hub.’

Marks confirmed that the company plans to acquire more terminalling facilities and other critical oil and gas infrastructure assets.

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