OPIS Global LPG: Mont Belvieu Role Strengthens as NGL Exports Surge

HOUSTON – The U.S. natural gas liquids market has undergone a dramatic transformation since the start of the shale revolution, evolving from a largely domestic industry into the world’s leading NGL export center. At the heart of this growth lies Mont Belvieu, Texas, the Gulf Coast hub that has become the epicenter of America’s NGL infrastructure, trading, and connectivity.

Speaking as the keynote presenter at the OPIS Global LPG Conference in Houston Thursday, Tyler Cott, vice president of NGL Exports with Enterprise Products Partners, highlighted the strength of the U.S. NGL market and the critical role Mont Belvieu continues to play in its expansion.

“The NGL export growth story continues,” Cott said. “Mont Belvieu is not only so critical to how things work in the U.S., but it’s also so critical about how things work around the world.”

Cott said U.S. upstream energy producers have nearly doubled production in recent years, even as rig counts have fallen by half. He attributed this to efficiency gains and technological advancements that have enabled producers to “do more with less.” Over the past three years alone, more than 18,000 horizontal wells have been completed across 25 distinct geologic zones, demonstrating how innovation continues to drive record output, he added.

“In the Permian Basin, NGLs are growing faster than crude,” Cott said. “Producers are drilling in new areas richer in natural gas, and technology is enhancing hydrocarbon recovery. Do not doubt the American engineer.”

For every barrel of crude oil produced in the U.S., about two-thirds of a barrel of NGLs are also generated, according to Cott. Enterprise forecasts that by the end of the decade, NGL volumes could grow by 25%, continuing the country’s steady march toward export dominance.

But even as production rises, U.S. consumption has largely been flat. “All new incremental production must [be exported],” Cott said. “Mont Belvieu NGL will price to export – so the biggest story is in exports.”

Enterprise Products Partners, a key player in this growth, has invested heavily in infrastructure to meet surging global demand. The company operates 50,000 miles of pipeline and currently has $5.1 billion in major capital projects under construction.

Its Gulf Coast network includes multiple terminal locations and ports that handle six NGL and olefin products, with a combined 40 million tons per year of export capacity. Enterprise also has brownfield expansion potential across all its terminals, providing flexibility for future growth. Brownfield expansion is the process of redeveloping or reusing a previously built-on site.

At the center of this network stands the Enterprise Houston Terminal, the world’s largest NGL export facility. The terminal supports four LPG products across nine docks, complemented by additional facilities at Morgan’s Point and the Neches River. Together, these assets, along with others, form what Cott described as a “super system” of connectivity that ensures U.S. NGLs reach markets efficiently and reliably.

Supporting this infrastructure is Enterprise’s extensive storage system, anchored by a salt dome cavern with roughly 170 million barrels of capacity. Industry-wide, salt dome storage is estimated at about 360 million barrels, a volume Cott said equates to “25 years of California wine production.”

Cott concluded his remarks by emphasizing that the fundamentals of the U.S. NGL market remain robust. Strong production forecasts, strategic infrastructure investments, and expanding export capabilities all point to sustained growth for years ahead.

“The U.S. NGL market is healthy and growing,” Cott said. “As production increases and infrastructure expands, we’re well-positioned to meet global demand and solidify America’s role as a world leader in energy exports.”

Cott said that at Mont Belvieu, and across the Gulf Coast, the story of the shale revolution’s next chapter is still being written, powered by technology, connectivity, and a non-stop drive for new innovation.

Reporting by Alan Lammey, alammey@opisnet.com; Editing by Ron Nissimov, rnissimov@opisnet.com

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