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15 Biggest Natural Gas Pipeline Companies in the World

Here’s a question: What are the 15 biggest (by company revenue) natural gas-owning pipeline companies in the world? The U.S. has the biggest natural gas pipeline infrastructure in the world, covering a distance of 333,000 kilometers (206,917 miles). Even so, only one U.S.-based company is in the top 5 biggest pipeline companies. Can you guess which country takes the top 2 spots on the list?
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Enterprise CEO Says World Not in Energy “Transition” but “Addition”

Enterprise co-CEOs Randy Fowler and Jim Teague

Enterprise Products Partners L.P., with over 50,000 miles of natural gas, NGL, crude oil, refined products, and petrochemical pipelines, is one of the largest publicly traded partnerships and a leading provider of midstream energy services to producers and consumers. Advisor Access, an online publication aimed at investment advisors, recently interviewed Enterprises’ co-CEOs. One of the statements made by co-CEO Jim Teague struck a chord with us.
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New Build/Expansions Coming This Yr & Next for 3 M-U NGL Pipelines

We’re always jazzed when we unearth information related to the Marcellus/Utica nobody else has yet discovered or highlighted. We think we’ve found something interesting related to a recently updated spreadsheet maintained by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). On Friday the EIA published a post to trumpet the news that 19 “liquids” pipeline projects are “moving toward completion in 2021.” In reviewing the list we discovered two projects related to the M-U in 2021, and a third M-U project coming in 2022. All three have an impact on the ability of M-U drillers to move NGL’s out of our region to higher-paying markets.
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Enterprise Decides to Expand ATEX Ethane Pipeline to Gulf Coast

In August, Enterprise Products Partners, the builder and operator of the Appalachia-to-Texas Express (ATEX) ethane pipeline, launched an open season to gauge interest in expanding the capacity along the 1,192-mile pipeline (see Enterprise Looks to Expand ATEX Ethane Pipeline to Gulf Coast). Good news! The open season is now closed and yes, there is more than enough interest from customers to increase capacity along the line by an additional 45,000 barrels per day.
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Enterprise Looks to Expand ATEX Ethane Pipeline to Gulf Coast

ATEX route (click for larger version)

The Appalachia-to-Texas Express (ATEX) ethane pipeline was completed and began to flow 125,000 barrels per day of Marcellus/Utica ethane to the Gulf Coast in 2013. Enterprise Products Partners, the builder and operator of the pipeline, is now considering upgrades that will expand capacity along the pipeline another 50,000 barrels per day.
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Centennial Pipeline Reversal “a Go” to Send NE NGLs to Gulf Coast

centenmapIn September 2015 MDN brought you the news that two joint venture partners, MPLX (Marathon Petroleum) and Enterprise Products Partners, were actively evaluating a plan to reverse the flow of the 795-mile Centennial Pipeline to send natural gas liquids (NGLs) from the Utica/Marcellus to the Gulf Coast (see Centennial Pipeline May Reverse, Sending NE NGLs to the Gulf). The Centennial began operation in 2002 after a 26-inch diameter natural gas line from Longville, LA into Bourbon was converted to refined light product service. At the same time, a new 24-inch diameter line was constructed from Beaumont, TX to connect to the existing 26-inch diameter line at Longville, TX. Since last year we had not heard any concrete plans–until now. Yesterday at the S&P Global/Platts ninth annual Appalachian Oil & Gas Conference in Pittsburgh, Enterprise announced it is “a go” to reverse the Centennial…
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Drama: Enterprise Bails on Williams Merger, No Longer Interested

As the World TurnsThe drama surrounding Williams and whether or not the company will sell itself continues. Energy Transfer Equity’s (ETE) billionaire CEO Kelsy Warren propositioned Williams for over six months before going public with his overtures last year (see Energy Transfer Makes “Indecent Proposal” to Buy Williams for $48B). Williams resisted, but eventually they caved and agreed to the deal, although the deal price went down by $10 billion (see Williams Accepts ETE’s “Indecent Proposal” – Price Went Down $10B). Warren claims he got snookered and got cold feet, eventually bailing (see Dead as a Doornail: ETE Terminates Merger with Williams). The ink on the flurry of lawsuits filed hadn’t even dried and Enterprise Products Partners, another huge midstream company, began making overtures to Williams (see Here We Go Again: Enterprise Products Wants to Buy Williams). That was last month. Yesterday Enterprise released a statement saying they’re finished with Williams, throwing in the towel, no longer interested. To which Williams (incredibly) replied they were “surprised” at the Enterprise announcement. Frankly, we’re surprised that Williams was surprised…
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Marcellus/Utica Ethane Heads to Norway via Texas

INEOS Intrepid
click for larger version

Very good news for those few Marcellus/Utica drillers who ship their ethane out of the northeast via the ATEX (Appalachia to Texas) Express pipeline. Enterprise Products Partners announced last week that the very first cargo of ethane to be exported from its brand spanking new Morgan’s Point, Texas terminal was loaded onto a ship headed for Norway. Some 265,000 barrels of ethane, some of the ethane (much of it?) came from the Marcellus/Utica via the ATEX Express pipeline. Who are the lucky Marcellus/Utica drillers now selling their ethane via the Gulf Coast?…
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Corvex Raider Launches Hostile Takeover Attempt of Williams

Mini-MeCorporate raider and Carl Icahn protege Keith “Mini-Me” Meister, Managing Partner of Corvex Management, has launched a full-out assault and takeover attempt of midstream company Williams. Yesterday MDN reported that Meister has floated a slate of 10 of his own people–including himself–as candidates for the board of directors for a scheduled vote during the annual meeting later this year (see Corp Raider Who Quit Williams Board Wants Now Wants Back On). Mini-Me tried this before and it failed (see Half of Williams Board, Including 2 Corporate Raiders, Quit). This time Mini-Me is trying to fight his proxy war via the court of public opinion. Writing on the Seeking Alpha investors website, Mini-Me Meister offers lame excuses for why he “must” attempt a takeover of Williams…
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Corporate Raiders Try to Incite Shareholder Revolt at Williams

Mini-MeOn Friday MDN reported that Enterprise Products Partners, a huge midstream company, wants to buy Williams (see Here We Go Again: Enterprise Products Wants to Buy Williams). Yes, we’ve seen this movie before. Last year Energy Transfer Equity’s CEO Kelcy Warren tried the same thing–which ended in disaster earlier this year (see Dead as a Doornail: ETE Terminates Merger with Williams). History is repeating itself. The same agitators–corporate raiders–are once again pressuring Williams to accept the Enterprise offer as they tried to get Williams to accept ETE’s earlier offer. Keith “Mini Me” Meister, a protege of Carl Icahn, is one of the corporate raiders pressuring Williams. Why? So Mini-Me can flip his large amount of Williams stock at a considerable profit (screwing employees of Williams in the process). Once again, here’s why corporate raiders, like Keith Meister, are disgusting low-lifes in our book…
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Here We Go Again: Enterprise Products Wants to Buy Williams

here we go againJust when you thought things had finally settled down with midstream giant Williams, a new rumor is making the rounds. Brief history: Energy Transfer Equity’s (ETE) billionaire CEO Kelsy Warren propositioned Williams for over six months before going public with his overtures (see Energy Transfer Makes “Indecent Proposal” to Buy Williams for $48B). Williams resisted, but eventually they caved and agreed to the deal, although the deal price went down by $10 billion (see Williams Accepts ETE’s “Indecent Proposal” – Price Went Down $10B). Warren claims he got snookered and got cold feet, eventually bailing (see Dead as a Doornail: ETE Terminates Merger with Williams). Now the rumor mill is buzzing. Another company, Enterprise Products Partners, is making overtures to buy Williams for an undisclosed sum…
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Enterprise Prod. Raises $100M via Unit Sale, Plans Another $200M

Enterprise Products Partners is a big (really big) midstream/pipeline company. Enterprise built and operates the 1,230-mile ATEX (Appalachia-to-Texas Express) ethane pipeline runs from four fractionation plants in the Marcellus/Utica Shale region all the way to Mount Belvieu, TX. As we noted in an article yesterday, Enterprise has just completed and brought online a new pipeline that will potentially flow some of that Marcellus/Utica ethane all the way to Louisiana (see Marcellus/Utica Ethane can Now Hitch a Ride to LA via Aegis Pipe). As all companies in our sector attempt to not only expand, but simply survive, they use different methods. In some cases they sell debt in the form of IOUs (i.e. notes) or bonds, and in other cases they sell pieces of the company, typically stocks. Or in the case of master limited partnerships (MLPs), they sell “units” which are the equivalent of stocks. Enterprise is an MLP and has just sold $100 million worth of units with plans to sell another $200 million worth of units in the first quarter of this year, for a total of $300 million in cold, hard cash they can put to work in the company…
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Marcellus/Utica Ethane can Now Hitch a Ride to LA via Aegis Pipe

Last week Enterprise Products Partners reported completing the remaining portion of the Aegis ethane pipeline that runs from Lake Charles, Louisiana to Napoleonville, Louisiana. Aegis is now online and flowing ethane. And that’s good for the Marcellus/Utica. Wait….what? Why is an ethane pipeline built in LA good for the northeast? Because that pipeline will almost certainly be flowing ethane from the Marcellus/Utica. Here’s the connection…
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Enterprise Products First to Export Crude Post-Ban – Implications

The very first shipment of crude oil from America’s shores to another country since the ban on crude exports was lifted two weeks ago in perhaps the worst national budget we’ve ever had (thanks to sell-out Republicans like House Speaker Paul Ryan), will happen the first week of January. Enterprise Products Partners, owner of the ATEX (Appalachia-to-Texas Express) natural gas liquids pipeline, will load 600,000 barrels of U.S. light sweet crude oil at the Enterprise Hydrocarbon Terminal (EHT) on the Houston Ship Channel and the ship will set sail in early January. How will oil exports affect the domestic (and international) oil industry?…
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Enterprise Products Gets Line of Credit Hike, Can Borrow $5.5B!

eyes popping outFrom time to time we highlight companies that get their line of credit/borrowing power reevaluated by their bankers. Usually we spot announcements from exploration and production (E&P) companies, otherwise known as drillers on MDN. Sometimes we spot such announcements for midstream (or pipeline) companies. The one we spotted from yesterday about made our eyes pop out–by far the biggest such line of credit we’ve seen for a company with major operations in the northeast shale area. Enterprise Products Partners, which built and operates the 1,230-mile Appalachia-to-Texas Express (ATEX) ethane pipeline from Ohio to the Gulf Coast, announced they got a bump up in their credit line of $500 million. They now have the power to borrow up to $5.5 BILLION (yes, with a “b”). They could buy a small country with that kind of money…
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Centennial Pipeline May Reverse, Sending NE NGLs to the Gulf

centenmap
Centennial Pipeline map – click for larger version

On Friday MDN told you that after Marathon Petroleum buys MarkWest Energy, they are eyeing sending natural gas liquids (NGL) gathered by MarkWest south to the Gulf Coast (see Marathon Hints MarkWest Merger Plan May Include NGLs to Gulf). No specific plans were mentioned but a vague statement about “more details coming by the end of the year.” It seems some of those details have already leaked. The leaker is Marathon’s joint venture partner in the Centennial Pipeline, Enterprise Products Partners. Enterprise said at an investors conference last week that they are actively evaluating a plan to reverse the flow of the Centennial from Illinois to the Gulf Coast to send NGLs from the Marcellus/Utica to the Gulf for processing and use in cracker/petrochemical plants…
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