Wildcat Midstream has begun expanding its Helper, Utah, export terminal to increase the region’s capacity to transport crude from the Uinta Basin to the Gulf Coast.
Wildcat has acquired an additional 422 acres adjacent to its existing Helper facility as part of its expansion efforts.
Currently able to load 42,000 bbl/d, the Helper terminal will be able to load 66,000 bbl/d following the project’s first expansion phase. By the second phase, expected in 2026, Helper will have grown to a 140,000 bbl/d capacity.
Wildcat Midstream is the only turnkey operator in the Uinta and offers producers a range of logistical services from wellhead to railhead, including trucking, railcar loading, offloading and market sales.
The company hopes to further capitalize on the Uinta’s waxy crude properties with the terminal’s expansion and has secured multiple long-term agreements for rail transportation and wax sales commitments with a Gulf Coast refiner.
Waxy crude has unique qualities, said Wildcat Partner Jim Finley, such has a high content of middle distillates to make diesel and jet fuel and low sulfur content for low refining costs. The crude is relatively light with a high paraffin content, making it easier to process to produce lubricants and wax-based products, he said.
“Even with the need for specialized transportation and heated storage, its price remains competitively attractive," Finley said.