Responding To The Glut Of Light Oil -- February 7, 2019

Updates

Later, 8:46 p.m. CT: see first comment -- Very interesting... I wonder if the Capline ends at Patoka, IL? I believe the Dakota Access pipeline ends at Patoka, IL. Part of the reason for there was that's as high up the barges could come up the Mississipi and carry a full load.(down to Louisiana). Maybe Patoka is a hub of sorts.... the map: from RBN Energy --

 

Original Post

From January 11, 2019:

RBN Energy: will crude soon be flowing south on Capline?

The possibility of reversing the flow on Capline — the U.S.’s largest northbound crude oil pipeline — has been discussed for a number of years now. Finally, it may be on the horizon. The three owners of Louisiana-to-Illinois pipeline announced last week that this month they plan to initiate a binding open season for a reversed Capline system that would enable southbound flows starting in the third quarter of 2020 — only a year and a half from now. And, as we discuss in today’s blog, reversing Capline’s direction could open up new crude-slate possibilities for Louisiana refineries and boost crude exports out of the Bayou State.

Today, it is announced that the Capline will be reversed in September, 2020. Link here.

The reversed Capline is expected to be "available for service" to carry light, sweet crude by September 2020, allowing North American crudes to flow more easily to eastern US Gulf Coast refineries, an executive said Thursday.

This is the third story in less than three weeks regarding how the US oil sector will deal with all that light oil. Slowly but surely. Another great story.

The first story: Chevron to expand a Gulf Coast refinery to deal with light oil.

The second story: ExxonMobil to increase light oil refining capacity along the Gulf Coast in conjunction with a new one-million Permian pipeline (partner with Qater).

This third story: reversing the Capline to get all that light oil to the northeast.