The Majorsville expansion will increase MarkWest’s total processing capacity in the rich gas area of the Marcellus to more than 2.1 Bcf/d, essentially all of which is supported by long-term agreements with MarkWest’s producer customers. All of the natural gas liquids (NGLs) recovered at MarkWest’s four large Marcellus processing complexes in southwest Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia are or will be connected through MarkWest’s extensive NGL gathering system for delivery to its Houston, Pennsylvania fractionation, storage, and marketing complex. MarkWest previously announced that, to support its significant Marcellus expansions, it is constructing a second fractionation complex in Harrison County, Ohio, in conjunction with its Utica shale expansion and associated Utica shale joint venture. The Houston, PA and Harrison, OH fractionation complexes will be connected through MarkWest’s NGL gathering system to provide significant reliability, flexibility and critical downstream marketing options. Following the completion of its announced Marcellus and associated Utica gas gathering, processing and fractionation facilities, MarkWest and its affiliates will have the capacity to produce approximately 155,000 barrels per day (Bbl/d) of purity ethane and 120,000 Bbl/d of propane and heavier NGLs. This represents more than 10 percent of the total US supply of purity ethane and more than 5 percent of the total US supply of propane. The first phase of MarkWest’s purity ethane facilities are expected to come online in mid 2013 in conjunction with the completion of Mariner West, a pipeline project jointly developed by MarkWest and Sunoco Logistics L.P. (NYSE: SXL) to deliver Marcellus ethane to petrochemical markets in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada.
Both of the projects announced today were included in MarkWest’s previously announced 2012 capital investment estimates. MarkWest will discuss both projects in more detail at the Partnership’s first quarter earnings call. “We are excited to expand our existing relationships with Chesapeake and Antero,” said Frank Semple, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of MarkWest. “MarkWest continues to focus on providing best of class fully integrated midstream services that are critical to the rich-gas development in the northeast United States and we are pleased to further strengthen our leading midstream presence in the liquids-rich area of the Marcellus.”MarkWest Energy Partners, L.P. is a master limited partnership engaged in the gathering, transportation, and processing of natural gas; the transportation, fractionation, marketing, and storage of natural gas liquids; and the gathering and transportation of crude oil. MarkWest has extensive natural gas gathering, processing, and transmission operations in the southwest, Gulf Coast, and northeast regions of the United States, including the Marcellus Shale, and is the largest natural gas processor and fractionator in the Appalachian region.
This press release includes “forward-looking statements.” All statements other than statements of historical facts included or incorporated herein may constitute forward-looking statements. Actual results could vary significantly from those expressed or implied in such statements and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Although MarkWest believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, MarkWest can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. The forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that affect operations, financial performance, and other factors as discussed in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Among the factors that could cause results to differ materially are those risks discussed in the periodic reports filed with the SEC, including MarkWest’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011. You are urged to carefully review and consider the cautionary statements and other disclosures made in those filings, specifically those under the heading “Risk Factors.” MarkWest does not undertake any duty to update any forward-looking statement except as required by law.