Energy Transfer LP is considering international expansion, the Dallas-based midstream company said in a July 13 release.

Kelcy Warren, the company’s co-founder and executive chairman, met with Panama President Laurentino Cortizo Cohen on July 12, the release said, to sign a memorandum of understanding to study the feasibility of joint participation in a proposed Trans-Panama Gateway Pipeline project.

Dallas-based Energy Transfer Eyes International Expansion with Panama Deal
Panama President Laurentino Cortizo Cohen and Energy Transfer Executive Chairman Kelcy Warren on July 12. (Source: Business Wire)

Formed in 1996, Energy Transfer is one of the largest and most diversified midstream companies in the United States with more than 90,000 miles of pipelines and associated infrastructure in 38 states and Canada. The company opened its first international office in Beijing, China, in April 2019, as a strategic move to meet growing demand for ethane and LNG products, according to its website.

The proposed Trans-Panama Gateway Pipeline Project would move liquified petroleum gas (LPG) across Panama for re-export, expanding Energy Transfer’s international operations into new markets while providing Panama the opportunity to establish itself as a distribution center of petroleum products to markets globally.

The proposed project would include the development, construction and operation of a terminal on the Pacific side of Panama and another on the Atlantic side connected by a pipeline for the receipt, transportation and export of LPG to international markets. Any decisions made by the parties will be based on the outcomes of joint feasibility studies and an economic analysis related to the transportation of LPG in Panama, the release said.