December 19, 2013 [OPIS] - Epic Midstream is aiming to begin first operations at its expanded rail facility in Savannah, Ga., on Dec. 30, slightly later than the earlier expected date in mid-December, industry sources told OPIS on Wednesday.
The slight delay of a couple of weeks was attributed to a need to complete local inspections and Christmas holidays. This is even though the new rail facility is physically ready for operations now.
The $2 million rail expansion project will increase Epic’s capability to import and export products from and to its 870,000-bbl Savannah oil products terminal.
Epic’s Southeast terminal, which handles gasoline, distillates, caustic soda and lubricants, competes with Colonial Oil, the dominant fuel supplier in the Southeast market. Colonial Oil has six oil products terminals in the Southeast, including Savannah.
Epic is adding a new rail spur with capacity to load and unload 10 railcars, which will enhance the terminal’s transit volume for imports and exports between the terminal and the marine docks.
The new rail spur will be served by the Golden Isles Short Line, which provides access to both the Norfolk Southern and CSX rail lines.
The new rail access will serve the east tank farm, providing the optionality to import and export product through the Savannah Port with the use of rail and the facility’s recently renovated 38-foot draft ship berth.
Epic Midstream is a midstream investment platform focused on acquiring and enhancing multi-modal petroleum and chemical storage and handling assets.
The company is funded through private equity and has refined product storage terminals located in the U.S. Southeast.
Epic Midstream acquired the Savannah terminal in 2011, but it was handling only petrochemical and lubricants until earlier this year when Glencore delivered its first diesel cargo to the terminal in February.
Both Western and Glencore announced on Sept. 10, 2012 that they would begin to use the oil products storage tanks owned by Epic at Savannah. The storage capacity designated for oil products was pegged at 450,000 b/d.
There are 27 tanks at Savannah terminal, which is served by ship, barge, truck and rail. Savannah is the only water-based terminal for Epic.
Epic owns another four inland terminals in Alabama and Georgia, including Bremen, Ga., Macon, Ga., Montgomery, Ala., and Moundville, Ala., some of which are located along Kinder Morgan’s Plantation pipeline.
Epic has a combined 65 storage tanks, totaling 1.5 million bbl of active storage capacity. The shell capacity is over 1.8 million bbl.
Besides the rail expansion project at Savannah, Epic is also expected to build another two tanks, with a total capacity of 100,000 bbl.
There is no timetable so far for this capacity expansion project. This project may include potential access to automated truck racks, two vessel docks and the new Golden Isles Short Line Rail.
