Permian-to-Corpus crude oil flows fell by just 9 Mb/d to 2.45 MMb/d in October, nearly matching September’s record (see blue line in the graph below), according to data from the Texas Railroad Commission.
Four pipelines move crude from the Permian Basin to the Corpus Christi area — Plains’ Cactus I (390 Mb/d) and Cactus II (670 Mb/d), Enbridge’s Gray Oak (900 Mb/d) and EPIC Crude (600 Mb/d). In October, all pipelines except Cactus I recorded month-on-month increases in flow. With Eagle Ford receipts, these pipelines are hovering around full utilization.
Further growth in Permian-to-Corpus flows will likely depend on Gray Oak’s expansion. The first phase will add 80 Mb/d of contracted capacity in April, followed by an additional 40 Mb/d a year later.
