U.S. Development Group LLC (USDG), a Houston-based developer of rail
logistics and terminal facilities, announced today that it is nearing
completion of its Eagle Ford Crude Terminal (EFCT) and will begin
operations there in July. Located on I-35 approximately 80 miles south
of San Antonio, the industry logistics hub will handle crude oil,
condensate and related products produced from the Eagle Ford Shale play.
USDG anticipates that the EFCT will aggregate major industry
participants in the Eagle Ford Shale by co-locating inbound gathering
pipelines and truck receiving capability, tank storage, and
high-capacity rail loading and outbound shipping services, as well as
originating outbound pipelines to Corpus Christi and Houston.
In addition, the company has recently purchased an adjacent 500-acre
parcel in LaSalle County near Gardendale, Texas, and has begun
developing land parcels at the EFCT for pipeline companies, producers
and marketers to construct infrastructure with open connectivity to the
hub. Partnering companies are expected to realize significant synergies
from positioning the receiving of gathered product from the surrounding
production area; origination stations for outbound pipelines; and
necessary storage tanks, truck stations and rail infrastructure all at
the common EFCT hub.
“We’ve conceived a unique facility that will serve the industry’s
short-term needs with a highly capable rail loading facility,” said
Larry Padfield, U.S. Development Group vice president of development.
“Long term, as pipeline infrastructure is developed, the hub will
provide the market with both rail and outbound pipeline solutions to the
major refining and distribution markets.”
EFCT rail operations will have direct truck-to-rail loading with
capacity to handle up to 40,000 barrels per day at 10 truck unloading
positions. USDG will also provide railcar fleet and freight services to
support movements of oil and condensate from the hub in both manifest
and unit trains shipped via the Union Pacific Railroad. Initial rail
destinations will include USDG’s crude terminal in St. James, La., as
well as refiners and chemical locations with the capability to receive
product by rail. USDG plans to significantly expand the rail loading
capability at the EFCT by year end.
“Supply chain management is most successful when efficiencies are
achieved using fundamental efforts such as scale and streamlining.
Working with U.S. Development Group, our goal is to help provide
significant benefits in these areas ultimately leading to significant
value,” said Diane Duren, Union Pacific Railroad vice president and
general manager – chemicals. “Adding rail to the transportation
logistics mix when shipping crude oil provides an efficient, flexible
and safe method to transport. Customers and marketers will benefit from
a comprehensive logistics solution that combines these attributes with a
state-of-the-art crude oil distribution and storage facility like EFCT.”
The Eagle Ford facility joins USDG’s St. James Rail Terminal as part of
a planned nationwide network of crude oil/condensate terminals. USDG,
which pioneered the hub concept, is actively developing additional
terminal locations for rail movements of oil and condensate from the
Eagle Ford and other major production areas to refining and distribution
centers across North America.
U.S. Development Group companies are engaged in designing, developing,
owning and managing large-scale rail logistic centers within the United
States. U.S. Development Group is the industry leader in unit rail
facility development for both biofuels and crude oil distribution.
For additional information about the Eagle Ford facility, please contact
Bill Swan at 713-445-6929.
For media inquiries, please contact Meg Martin at 405-397-6156 or Brent
Gooden at 405-715-3232.
