ONEOK OKs Gas, NGL Expansions

ONEOK, Inc., the Tulsa, Okla.-headquartered midstream service provider and owner of one of the nation’s largest natural gas liquids (NGL) systems, has announced plans to expand its gas and NGL infrastructure between now and 2021. The expansions include:

– A 200 MMcf/d expansion of the Bear Creek natural gas processing facility and related infrastructure in the Williston Basin.

– Mid-Continent NGL fractionation facility expansions totaling approximately 65,000 bpd and additional NGL infrastructure to increase capacity between the Elk Creek and Arbuckle II pipelines.

– A 40,000 bpd additional expansion of the West Texas LPG pipeline in the Permian Basin.

These projects are expected to be financed with cash generated from operations and short- and long-term borrowings. ONEOK continues to expect no equity issuances.

“These low-cost, capital-efficient expansions with attractive returns continue to demonstrate ONEOK’s ability to incrementally grow with our customers to meet their needs,” said Terry K. Spencer, ONEOK president and chief executive officer.

“The Bear Creek plant expansion in North Dakota will provide needed processing capacity for producers actively developing the high-growth area of Dunn County while also helping to address natural gas flaring in the state. Continuing to expand our West Texas LPG pipeline system underscores ONEOK’s Permian Basin strategy to provide needed NGL transportation capacity to producers in the highly productive Delaware and Midland basins.”

The Bear Creek natural gas processing facility expansion and related infrastructure in Dunn County, N.D., are expected to cost a total of approximately $405 million and be completed in the first quarter of 2021. The expansion is supported by acreage dedications with primarily fee-based contracts.

ONEOK’s Williston Basin natural gas processing capacity will increase to more than 1.6 bcfd following the completion of the Bear Creek expansion. The expansion is expected to produce approximately 25,000 bpd of NGLs in ethane rejection, resulting in 225,000 bpd of raw feed contracted since the announcement of the Elk Creek Pipeline.

The West Texas LPG pipeline expansion is expected to cost approximately $145 million and be completed in the first quarter of 2021. The expansion is supported by long-term dedicated NGL production from third-party natural gas processing plants in the Permian Basin that are expected to produce up to 45,000 bpd of NGLs. The expansions to ONEOK’s Mid-Continent NGL fractionation facilities are expected to cost approximately $150 million, with 15,000 bpd expected to be completed in the third quarter 2020 and 50,000 bpd expected to be completed in the first quarter 2021. In expectation of accelerating volume growth from the Williston and Powder River basins, additional infrastructure will be constructed to increase connectivity between the Elk Creek and Arbuckle II pipelines.