Seaway crude line capacity increase delayed

A planned capacity increase on the Seaway crude pipeline from Cushing, Oklahoma, to the US Gulf coast has been delayed by operator Enterprise Products Partners because of unspecified upstream delays.

Enterprise is ready to boost Seaway capacity by 100,000 b/d, but the increase is being delayed by upstream issues, said Enterprise senior vice president of liquids hydrocarbons marketing Brent Secrest on the sidelines of the S&P Global Platts North American Crude Oil Exports Summit in Houston. The expansion was previously scheduled for September.

The pipeline will add drag reducing agents (DRA) to accomplish the increase, boosting capacity on the twin-line system to 950,000 b/d, Enterprise said earlier this year while reporting second quarter earnings. The Seaway system, co-owned with Enbridge, includes a 400,000 b/d Seaway legacy line and a 450,000 b/d twin.

Demand to move more crude to the US Gulf coast has been increasing amid growing interest in exporting US oil.

The expansion of Seaway could further drain volumes at Cushing which have been falling in recent months.