Oil takeaway capacity from the Permian Basin, the largest U.S. shale field, is expected to tighten next month due to scheduled pipeline maintenance, which is already driving up the premium for delivered WTI into East Houston.
The 642-mile Wink-to-Webster pipeline, operated by Exxon Mobil and which ships more than 1 MMbbl/d of crude and condensate from the Permian Basin to the Gulf Coast, is due downtime next month for a 10-day scheduled maintenance period.
"Of course that means crude oil supplies are supposed to back up in the Permian Basin while crude oil inventories are drawn along the Gulf Coast," said Andrew Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates in Houston.
The spread between West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude and the same grade delivered to Magellan's East Houston terminal (MEH) hit its widest point on April 29 at a $1.25/bbl premium, the widest since early June 2021, according to LSEG data.
Recommended Reading
Axis Energy Deploys Fully Electric Well Service Rig
2024-03-13 - Axis Energy Services’ EPIC RIG has the ability to run on grid power for reduced emissions and increased fuel flexibility.
Tech Trends: AI Increasing Data Center Demand for Energy
2024-04-16 - In this month’s Tech Trends, new technologies equipped with artificial intelligence take the forefront, as they assist with safety and seismic fault detection. Also, independent contractor Stena Drilling begins upgrades for their Evolution drillship.
Tech Trends: Safety, Speed, Savings: Automation is Transforming Drilling
2024-03-26 - Drilling is getting smarter through automation, delivering efficiency, consistency and reliability.
OTC: E&Ps Improving Operational Safety with Digitization
2024-05-13 - Artificial intelligence and the digitization of the oilfield have allowed for several improvements in keeping operators out of harm’s way, panelists said during the 2024 Offshore Technology Conference.
Exclusive: Silixa’s Distributed Fiber Optics Solutions for E&Ps
2024-03-19 - Todd Chuckry, business development manager for Silixa, highlights the company's DScover and Carina platforms to help oil and gas operators fully understand their fiber optics treatments from start to finish in this Hart Energy Exclusive.