Enterprise Products plans to build its ninth natural gas liquids (NGL) fractionator at its complex in Mont Belvieu, Texas, the company announced on Monday. 

This ninth fractionator will have a nameplate capacity of 85,000 bpd and is expected to begin operations as early as January 2016.

Upon completion of the ninth NGL fractionator, Enterprise will have gross nameplate NGL fractionation capacity of 755,000 bpd at Mont Belvieu and total gross NGL fractionation capacity of approximately 1.2 million bpd, according to company officials. 

Generally, the operating rates for the Hobbs fractionator and the last five fractionators built at Mont Belvieu have exceeded nameplate capacity, company officials say.

Enterprise will also have approximately 265,000 bpd of propane production capability at Mont Belvieu upon the completion of the ninth fractionator.

Enterprise says it has secured the required permits and emission credits for both the ninth and a similarly-sized 10th NGL fractionator at Mont Belvieu. 

The Mont Belvieu complex is complemented by the partnership’s network of NGL supply and distribution pipelines, over 110 million bbl of salt dome storage capacity and access to international markets through its LPG export facility and ethane export facility, which is currently under construction.

“We are pleased to announce plans to build a ninth NGL fractionator at our Mont Belvieu complex,” said Michael A. Creel, chief executive officer of Enterprise’s general partner. 

“This ninth NGL fractionator is not only needed to facilitate long-term NGL supply growth driven by the shale plays, it will also support increasing domestic and international demand. This fractionator secures incremental supplies of ethane for our Aegis pipeline and ethane export facility as well as low-ethane propane for our LPG export facility."