Enterprise Products Partners has received a deepwater port licence from the US Maritime Administration (Marad), enabling it to move forward with the development of the planned Sea Port Oil Terminal (SPOT) offshore crude oil loading terminal. The offshore platform will be located some 30 nm off the coast of Brazoria County, Texas in 115 feet (35 metres) of water and will be capable of loading 2m bbl per day. The plan includes construction of dual 36-inch bi-directional pipelines to connect the platform to the planned Oyster Creek crude oil terminal some 10 miles inland.
Use of SPOT will obviate the need for offshore loading of VLCCs by ship-to-ship transfer from smaller tankers, significantly reducing crude oil vapour and other greenhouse gas emissions, Enterprise says. “With US exports of crude oil at 4m bpd, SPOT offers a more environmentally friendly, safe, efficient and cost-effective way to deliver crude oil to global markets,” says AJ ‘Jim’ Teague, co-CEO of Enterprise’s general partner.
