Crude oil flows from the Permian Basin to Corpus Christi returned to record highs in August 2024, climbing 73 Mb/d from July to reach 2.43 MMb/d (see blue line in the graph below), a level previously reached in March 2023, according to the latest monthly data from the Texas Railroad Commission. Permian-to-Corpus flows rebounded in August following a two-month decline.
Four crude oil pipelines connect 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 August, all four pipelines recorded month-on-month increases in flow. Including Eagle Ford receipts, combined utilization rates for these pipelines hover around 100%. With limited room for additional volumes, further increases in Permian-to-Corpus flows will likely hinge on the Gray Oak pipeline’s expansion, expected in early Q2 2025.
