Crude oil flows from the Permian Basin to Corpus Christi increased in May 2024, rising by 52 Mb/d to 2.4 MMb/d, compared to April’s 2.35 MMb/d (see blue line in the graph below), according to the latest monthly data from the Texas Railroad Commission. Including Eagle Ford volumes picked up along the route, these pipelines transported a total of 2.65 MMb/d in May, indicating they were operating at full capacity — or even slightly above their combined nameplate capacities.
There are four oil pipelines flowing 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 May, EPIC was the only pipeline to see a decline in its Permian receipts; however, the pipeline still operated at full capacity for the fourth-consecutive month when accounting for Eagle Ford volumes. Plains’ Cactus I and II saw increases of 53 Mb/d and 12 Mb/d, respectively, while Gray Oak saw a modest rise of 7 Mb/d.
Gray Oak has sanctioned a 120 Mb/d expansion, with 80 Mb/d of contracted commitments starting in April 2025 and an additional 40 Mb/d in April 2026. As we mentioned in our recent blog, EPIC has also secured new long-term commitments. In the meantime, pipelines to Corpus Christi continue to bump up against their 2.56 MMb/d capacity.
