CALGARY, ALBERTA and HOUSTON, TEXAS--(Marketwire - Nov. 16, 2011) - Enbridge Inc. ("Enbridge") (TSX:ENB) (NYSE:ENB) and Enterprise Products Partners L.P. ("Enterprise") (NYSE: EPD) today announced that they have agreed to reverse the direction of crude oil flows on the Seaway pipeline to enable it to transport oil from Cushing, Oklahoma to the U.S. Gulf Coast. Pending regulatory approval, the line could operate in reversed service with an initial capacity of 150,000 barrels per day by second quarter 2012.
"The Seaway Pipeline reversal provides an early opportunity to offer Gulf Coast access to midcontinent producers and other crude oil shippers," said Patrick D. Daniel, President and Chief Executive Officer, Enbridge Inc. "A Seaway reversal will provide capacity to move secure, reliable supply to Texas Gulf Coast refineries, offsetting supplies of imported crude."
Michael A. Creel, President and Chief Executive Officer of Enterprise's general partner, said, "We congratulate Enbridge on its agreement to purchase a 50 per cent interest in Seaway. We believe that reversing the direction of crude oil movement on Seaway and the construction of additional infrastructure will accelerate access to Gulf Coast markets, reduce transportation costs, improve both producer and refiner economics and hasten the development of North America's crude oil reserves."
Following pump station additions and modifications, anticipated to be completed by early 2013, the capacity of the reversed Seaway Pipeline will be up to 400,000 barrels per day in mixed service. Enbridge and Enterprise expect that the reversed Seaway pipeline will be fully contracted. The partners anticipate conducting an open season to validate shipper support for an expansion of Seaway, through looping or twinning.
After reversing the direction that crude oil flows on the 500-mile (805-kilometer), 30-inch diameter, long-haul pipeline, Seaway will deliver crude from Cushing into the Houston-area market by utilizing existing affiliate and third-party pipelines as well as its Texas City local pipeline system. Enbridge and Enterprise plan to build a 45-mile (72-kilometer) pipeline that will link Seaway directly to Enterprise's ECHO crude oil storage terminal located southeast of Houston. This will provide shippers with enhanced connectivity and more efficient transportation to the Houston refining market. Additional investment required by the joint venture partners to reverse the line and construct supporting lateral and related facilities is expected to be approximately $300 million.
NOTE TO THIS PRESS RELEASE: As announced earlier today Enbridge Inc. (TSX, NYSE: ENB) entered into an agreement to acquire ConocoPhillips' (NYSE: COP) 50 per cent interest in the Seaway Crude Pipeline System for US$1.15 billion, and become joint owner of the pipeline with Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (NYSE: EPD) ("Enterprise").
About Enbridge Inc.
Enbridge Inc., a Canadian company, is a North American leader in delivering energy and one of the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations. As a transporter of energy, Enbridge operates, in Canada and the U.S., the world's longest crude oil and liquids transportation system. The Company also has a significant and growing involvement in natural gas gathering, transmission and midstream businesses, and an increasing involvement in power transmission. As a distributor of energy, Enbridge owns and operates Canada's largest natural gas distribution company, and provides distribution services in Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and New York State. As a generator of energy, Enbridge has interests in close to 860 megawatts of renewable and alternative energy generating capacity and is expanding its interests in wind and solar energy, geothermal and hybrid fuel cells. Enbridge employs approximately 6,400 people, primarily in Canada and the U.S. and is ranked as one of Canada's Greenest Employers, and one of the Top 100 Companies to Work for in Canada. Enbridge's common shares trade on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges under the symbol ENB. For more information, visit www.enbridge.com.
About Enterprise Products Partners L.P.
Enterprise Products Partners L.P. is one of the largest publicly traded partnerships and a leading North American provider of midstream energy services to producers and consumers of natural gas, NGLs, crude oil, refined products and petrochemicals. Enterprise's assets include approximately: 50,000 miles of onshore and offshore pipelines; 192 million barrels of storage capacity for NGLs, refined products and crude oil; and 27 billion cubic feet of natural gas storage capacity. Services include: natural gas transportation, gathering, processing and storage; NGL fractionation, transportation, storage, and import and export terminaling; crude oil and refined products storage, transportation and terminaling; offshore production platform; petrochemical transportation and storage; and a marine transportation business that operates primarily on the United States inland and Intracoastal Waterway systems and in the Gulf of Mexico. Additional information is available a www.enterpriseproducts.com.
This press release includes "forward-looking statements" as defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein that address activities, events, developments or transactions that Enterprise and Enbridge expect, believe or anticipate will or may occur in the future, including anticipated benefits and other aspects of such activities, events, developments or transactions, are forward-looking statements. Although Enterprise and Enbridge believe that the forward-looking statements included herein are based on information and assumptions which are current, reasonable and complete, these statements are necessarily subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, including required approvals by regulatory agencies, the possibility that the anticipated benefits from such activities, events, developments or transactions cannot be fully realized, the possibility that costs or difficulties related thereto will be greater than expected, the impact of competition and other risks and uncertainties included in the reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by Enterprise and Enbridge, respectively, and in the filings made by Enbridge with Canadian securities regulatory authorities. While Enterprise and Enbridge make these forward-looking statements in good faith, should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may differ materially from those expected. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates. Except as required by law, neither Enterprise nor Enbridge intends to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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