Intercontinental Terminals Increase Chemical Storage Capacity at Houston Ship Channel

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Intercontinental Terminals Company LLC, a subsidiary of Mitsui & Company Limited (Tokyo, Japan), is investing in and proceeding with the construction of a new bulk chemical storage terminal along the Houston Ship Channel. This new site is in response to increased production from U.S. shales, as well as the need for petrochemical companies to increase storage capacity.

Construction on the $150 million terminal began in February of this year, and completion is expected in April 2015. American Tank & Vessel Incorporated (Houston, Texas) serving as a consultant early in the project, and it has been awarded a contract to install the tanks. W.T. Byler Company (Houston) is performing the civil work.

The new 180-acre terminal will include two deepwater ship docks and four barge docks to service the 10-tank site. Each tank will have a storage capacity of 100,000 barrels and will store petrochemicals, natural gas liquids and other petroleum products.

An advantage of building at the Houston Ship Channel is existing infrastructure, including utilities and the transportation of the products to and from the terminal. The products will be transported via tankers, barges, rail car, tank trucks and pipeline. The land was acquired in 2010, and since real estate is limited along the ship channel, Intercontinental Terminals Company bought enough land to expand its tank capacity in the future, from 10 tanks to a total of 100 tanks.

The Houston Ship Channel is a globally recognized port and waterway that accommodates the importing and exporting a wide range of goods, from cars to electronics to food. But Houston also is known for its energy sector, and a large portion of the products that pass through are related to the oil, gas and chemical markets. With all the products converging in one spot to be transported to different regions of the country or the world, storage of these products is needed until they are sent to their final destination.

Intercontinental Terminals Company owns 239 storage tanks at its terminal in Deer Park, Texas; nine tanks at its terminal in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and four pressurized bullets with 34 low-pressure liquid tanks at its terminal in Antwerp, Belgium.

Since Intercontinental Terminals Company was established in 1972, the company has provided storage on the Gulf Coast for products such as petrochemical liquids and gases, fuel oil, bunker oil, and distillates.

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