Enterprise Products Partners LP said that its isobutane dehydrogenation (iBDH) plant in the Mont Belvieu, Texas area recently began service, with volumes expected to continue ramping up during the next two weeks. The facility, which is supported by long-term, fee-based contracts with investment-grade customers, will ultimately have the capability to process approximately 25,000 barrels per day of butane into nearly 1 billion pounds per year of isobutylene.

The iBDH plant will provide the necessary feedstock to enable Enterprise to fully utilize its MTBE and high purity isobutylene assets and meet growing market demand for isobutylene. Supplies of isobutylene, which is also a byproduct of ethylene production plants, have decreased as a result of increased use of low-cost, light-end feedstocks, specifically ethane, instead of more expensive crude oil derivatives. The development of this project leverages Enterprise’s extensive integrated midstream network to turn plentiful, cost-advantaged NGLs into a higher-valued product.

“The completion of the new iBDH facility extends our butane value chain by allowing us to increase production of both high purity and low purity isobutylene to be used primarily as feedstock to manufacture lubricants, rubber products and fuel additives,” A.J. Teague, CEO of Enterprise’s general partner, said.

“I would like to commend the performance of our construction contractor, Optimized Process Designs, and our employees whose expertise, diligence and more than 25 years of experience with the Oleflex technology allowed the project to be completed on time and under budget. This same technology and project execution strategy is being utilized on our second propane dehydrogenation plant, which is currently under construction at the same complex and is on schedule for completion in the first half of 2023,” he added.