Moda Midstream to Enhance MIEC to Allow VLCC's

U.S. oil export terminal operator Moda Midstream LLC said on Thursday it has begun to enhance its Moda Ingleside Energy Center (MIEC) in Ingleside, Texas, to allow the docking of larger-sized vessels.

Moda has begun structural enhancements and dredging to Berth 5 and improvements to Berth 4, which will allow for the docking of Suezmax class vessels and Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs), respectively, the company said in a statement.

The company said it was evaluating construction of an additional pipeline called the Moda Ingleside Express Pipeline, which would be bi-directional and run between MIEC and Moda Taft Terminal, located in Taft, Texas.

MIEC receives crude from the Cactus Pipeline, the Cactus II Pipeline and the EPIC Crude Oil Pipeline, while the Taft Terminal is connected to the EPIC Crude Oil Pipeline and Moda's 20-inch pipeline between the Inner Harbor and MIEC, the statement said. (Reporting by K. Sathya Narayanan