CCI Corpus Christi wins approval for $500m Texas petroleum project

CCI Corpus Christi, a subsidiary of Castleton Commodities International, has secured approval to construct petroleum processing facilities in Texas, US.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a final greenhouse gas (GHG) prevention of significant deterioration (PSD) permit for the $500m project.

The permit will allow CCI to build a 100,000bpd condensate splitter plant and a bulk petroleum terminal.

The bulk terminal will feature storage tanks and barge loading operations that can handle 500,000bpd of crude condensate for export.

CCI plans to use the crude condensate to produce diesel, jet fuel, naphtha and other petroleum products.

EPA regional administrator Ron Curry said: "Climate change contributes to many types of challenges, especially for coastal areas, such as Corpus Christi.

"Helping businesses minimise their GHG emissions will help protect these communities from dangers, such as increased flooding and storms."

The projects that increase GHG emissions are required to secure an air permit as per the EPA’s national GHG regulations, which were finalised in June 2010.

The regulations came into effect for projects starting 2 January 2011. EPA said it believes states are better equipped to run GHG air permitting programmes.

Texas is working to replace the federal implementation plan with its own state programme, which will remove the process of seeking air permits from EPA.

EPA has finalised 52 GHG permits in Texas, proposed an additional four permits and presently has 12 additional permits in development in the state.