U.S. Southwest Rides Gulf Coast Industrial Boom to More than $18 Billion in First-Quarter 2016 Project Starts

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--With $18.57 billion in projects currently slated to begin production in the first quarter of 2016, the U.S. Southwest region leads the rest of the nation, according Industrial Info's database. As usual, the massive buildout along the Gulf Coast is propelling much of the growth. Nearly 70% of the total investment value (TIV) for the projects can be attributed to four industries: Power, Oil & Gas Production, Petroleum Refining and Chemical Processing.

Click on the image at right for a graph detailing active projects scheduled to kick off in first-quarter 2016 in the U.S. Southwest by industry.

The Southwest region includes Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. The bulk of the spending, more than $16 billion, comes from Texas and Louisiana, where energy-related projects along the Gulf Coast are driving many of the investments. Only a single project among the 10 highest-valued is outside these two states.

The Power Industry has retaken the lead from the Alternative Fuels and Oil & Gas Production industries, which traditionally have topped the list for projects in the Southwest, with $6.21 billion in projects expected to kick off in the first quarter. These include FGE Power LLC's (The Woodlands, Texas) long-anticipated, $800 million construction of the Mitchell County Power Station in Westbrook, Texas. The 747-megawatt (MW), natural gas-fired, combined-cycle plant will utilize two 230.7-MW Alstom KA24/GT24 combustion turbine generators and a 285.6-MW Alstom condensing reheat steam turbine generator. SNC-Lavalin Constructors Incorporated (TSX:SNC) (Montreal, Quebec) is performing engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services. For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

The Oil & Gas Production Industry is in a distant, but strong, second place with $2.47 billion in Southwestern kickoffs in the first quarter, including Enterprise Products Partners LP's (NYSE:EPD) (Houston, Texas) $500 million addition of a ninth train at a NGL fractionator in Mont Belvieu, Texas. The 100,000-BBL/d fractionation train will increase the facility's total capacity to 700,000 BBL/d, to accommodate growing volumes of natural-gas liquids (NGL) from the Eagle Ford Shale. S&B Engineers and Constructors Limited (Houston) is performing EPC services. For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

The Petroleum Refining Industry is only slightly behind, with $2.13 billion in projects set to kick off. Among them is Valero Energy Corporation's (NYSE:VLO) (San Antonio, Texas) $700 million addition at the Saint Charles Refinery in Norco, Louisiana. At the 190,000-barrel-per-day (BBL/d) refinery, Valero plans to build a plant that will produce 1.6 million tons per year of methanol, using low-cost natural gas as a feedstock. The company also is recently added hydrogen units that will be used in the production of plastics, textiles, solvents and paint products. AMEC Foster Wheeler (NYSE:AFMW) (London, England) is performing EPC services. For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

The Chemical Processing Industry still has a strong presence, with $1.89 billion in projects set to begin construction in the Southwest in the first quarter, including the $750 million first phase of Yuhuang Chemical's three-phase methanol plant in Saint James, Louisiana. The first leg of the plant is expected to produce about 1.9 million tons per year of methanol; when the second phase is complete, the plant will have a capacity of 3.3 million tons per year. Most of the product will be exported to China, while 20% to 30% will be shipped by barge and rail to North American customers. AMEC is performing EPC services. For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

The six remaining highest-value projects set to kick off in the U.S. Southwest region in the fourth quarter are:

$750 million: Alcoa Incorporated's Aluminum Micromill Pilot Plant Expansion in San Antonio, Texas
For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

$650 million: Coronado Power Ventures' La Paloma Energy Center in Harlingen, Texas
For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

$550 million: Cheniere Energy Incorporated's San Patricio Hub Condensate Stabilizer in Edroy, Texas
For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

$500 million: Powersite LLC's Natural Gas-Fired Power Plant in Karnes City, Texas
For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

$500 million: American Ethane's Shady Grove Ethane Export Terminal in Convent, Louisiana
For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

$465 million: OGE Energy Corporation Retrofits at Sooner Lake Power Station in Red Rock, Oklahoma
For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

More than half of the region's TIV--more than $10.85 billion--is related to 175 projects that are now in the planning stages, where plenty of factors could increase, decrease or eliminate the expected spending. The region also has 89 projects worth more than $6.75 billion in the engineering stages, while 261 projects worth $970 million already have kicked off the first stage of construction and will kick off the second in the first quarter.

Industrial Info's Gulf Coast Region Labor Market Analysis provides insight into historical and forecast capital and maintenance spending through 2020, as well as current wage rates and expectations for the future. To learn more about this product, contact Industrial Info's VP of Labor Analytics, Tony Salemme, at tsalemme@industrialinfo.com or by calling (209) 547-9878.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, five offices in North America and 10 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle™, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities.