April 24, 2015 [OPIS] - San Antonio-based logistics company Howard Midstream Energy Partners (HEP) said on Thursday that its bulk liquid terminal subsidiary, Maverick Terminals LLC has entered into a services agreement with PMI, an affiliate of Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX), for the storage and handling of fuel oil from various inland refineries in Mexico.
These services will be provided via a new bulk liquid terminal facility to be constructed adjacent to HEP’s existing bulk liquid terminal facility in the Port of Brownsville, Texas, and will bring the company’s total storage capacity in the area to more than 500,000 bbl.
The new Brownsville terminal facility will consist of four tanks ranging in size from 50,000 bbl to 100,000 bbl, and will have an initial total capacity of 300,000 bbl, with the capability to expand to up to 700,000 bbl if necessary.
All tanks, pipelines and related facilities will be fully heated, insulated and capable of handling products from railcars, trucks and marine vessels.
Construction is underway and the new terminal facility is expected to be operational in the second half of this year.
“The nearest comparable facilities are located a considerable distance from the border, and with the rapidly developing changes occurring in Mexico as a result of the recently enacted energy reform, facilities located in the Port of Brownsville are going to play a major role in the movement of energy commodities into and out of Mexico,” said Mark Helmke, senior vice president of terminals and transportation for Howard Energy Partners.
HEP’s existing Brownsville Terminal consists of 21 tanks providing a total of up to 221,000 bbl of bulk liquid storage for upstream, midstream and downstream hydrocarbons, and other bulk liquids requiring custom terminal services.
The automated terminal includes steam heating, real-time product monitoring and control systems, and specialized infrastructure for commodity blending.
The Port of Brownsville is the largest and closest deep-water U.S. port to Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, a major industrial center in the country.
HEP is an independent midstream energy company, owning and operating approximately 700 miles of natural gas pipelines, natural gas liquids processing plants, rail facilities, liquid storage terminals, deep-water port facilities,
and other related midstream assets.
The company has offices in San Antonio and Houston, Texas. PMI is a group of companies of PEMEX. It is responsible for doing business in crude oil, petroleum products and petrochemical markets worldwide, with operations in over 20 countries.
PMI has long-term business relationships with major oil and midstream companies around the world.
