Fractionator to push Pembina complex’s capacity beyond 200,000 bpd

Pembina Pipeline Corp. reached an agreement to proceed with constructing a 55,000-barrels-per-day (bpd) propane-plus fractionator at its existing fractionation and storage complex in Redwater, Alberta. Pembina expects the fractionator – Redwater’s third – to be in-service in the third quarter of 2017.

According to a press release, Pembina’s first fractionator currently has an operating capacity of 73,000 bpd. It is, however, being debottlenecked to increase capacity to about 82,000 bpd in the fourth quarter of 2015. When combined with the complex’s second fractionator, which is expected to come into service in the fourth quarter of 2015, Pembina expects its fractionation capacity to nearly double to 155,000 bpd.

With the addition of the third fractionator, Pembina’s expects its fractionation capacity to total 210,000 bpd.

In addition, Pembina says certain components of the third fractionator will be upsized and that the site will be designed to accommodate a de-ethanizer tower in the future – should Pembina receive commercial support for such an expansion. With a de-ethanizer tower, the company says the capacity of the third fractionator alone would reach 73,000 bpd and bring the total capacity at Redwater to 228,000 bpd.