Enterprise begins LPG exports from Neches terminal

Enterprise Products has commenced LPG exports from its new Neches River terminal in Texas following the successful berthing and loading of Navigator Eclipse, the first ship to utilise the newly completed Phase 1 infrastructure.

The terminal, located near Orange, Texas, represents a capital investment of approximately US$1Bn.

According to the company’s August 2024 statement, the facility will ultimately support the export of up to 180,000 barrels per day of ethane and 360,000 barrels per day of propane.

Phase 1 of the terminal includes two docks capable of accommodating very large gas carriers and refrigeration and loading systems designed to handle up to 120,000 barrels per day of LPG.

A third dock is expected to be added as part of Phase 2, which will bring the terminal’s total LPG loading capacity to 45,000 barrels per hour.

In a presentation to investors, Enterprise Products stated the Neches River terminal is directly linked via pipeline to its NGL fractionation complex in Mont Belvieu, enabling integrated feedstock delivery and storage capabilities.

Navigator Eclipse, a 2016-built, 37,300-m³ gas carrier operated by Navigator Gas, docked at the Neches River terminal in July 2025 to load a propane cargo. A Reuters report dated 23 July 2025 confirmed this was the first ship to call at the terminal and marked the start of commissioning activities.

The August 2024 statement from Enterprise Products Partners noted the project would create 200 permanent jobs and had generated around 1,200 construction jobs during peak activity.

The Neches River development forms part of a wider strategy by Enterprise to expand its LPG export footprint, which includes other marine terminal investments on the US Gulf Coast.