Texas Deepwater Partners and Shell to Refurbish Deer Park Rail Terminal for Loading of Refined Products

HOUSTON--()--Texas Deepwater Deer Park Terminal LLC (“TDWP DP”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Texas Deepwater Partners (“TDWP”) and an affiliate of USD Group LLC (“USDG”), has entered into a lease agreement with Equilon Enterprises LLC d/b/a Shell Oil Products US (“SOPUS”) to retrofit and refurbish the Deer Park Rail Terminal (“DPRT”) in order to load refined products on the Houston Ship Channel. SOPUS affiliate Shell Trading (US) Company (STUSCO) also entered into a related diesel supply agreement with an affiliate of USDG.

Upon completion of the project, the DPRT will have the capability of loading up to 48 railcars per day, or approximately 33,000 barrels of refined products per day. The facility is equipped with two operational tanks with 50,000 barrels of total storage capacity, which will service the railcar loading rack at the terminal with direct pipeline connectivity to Deer Park Refinery and the Colex Products Terminal. The renovated terminal is expected to begin operations during the second quarter of 2019, as one of the most advantaged and efficient rail loading terminals on the Houston Ship Channel. Following completion, TDWP DP will continue to lease and operate the DPRT facility under a long-term agreement with SOPUS. While the initial focus will be on loading diesel into railcars, there may be a potential to further expand the DPRT by adding incremental storage capacity and rail loading capabilities to handle additional refined products.

“This is an exciting opportunity to work jointly with TDWP to operationalize a long-idled asset as we continue to see diesel demand growth in many markets,” said Odeh Khoury, Vice President, Shell Products Trading & Supply Americas. “This project further increases our integration with Shell’s Joint Venture in the Deer Park Refinery and enables us to further optimize our integrated value.”

Larry Ruple, TDWP’s Executive Vice President of Business Development, added, “We are excited for the opportunity to work with Shell on this project, and for the value it creates by adding the much-needed takeaway capacity for refined products in the strategic Houston Ship Channel market.”

About USD Group LLC and Texas Deepwater Partners: USDG and its affiliates are engaged in designing, developing, owning and managing large-scale multi-modal logistics centers and energy-related infrastructure across North America. USDG solutions create flexible market access for customers in significant growth areas and key demand centers, including Western Canada, the U.S. Gulf Coast and Mexico. TexasDeepwater Partners is a 50/50 joint venture between USDG and Pinto Realty Partners, whereby the joint venture is currently pursuing the development of a premier energy logistics terminal on the Houston Ship Channel with substantial tank storage capacity, multiple docks (including barge and deepwater), inbound and outbound pipeline connectivity, as well as a rail terminal with unit train capabilities. For additional information, please visit texasdeepwater.com.

Shell Trading and Supply: SOPUS and STUSCO operate in the U.S. as part of Shell Trading and Supply, one of the largest energy trading operations in the world with its largest trading hubs located in London, Houston, Singapore, Dubai and Rotterdam, trading in crude oil, natural gas, LNG, electrical power, refined products, chemical feedstocks and environmental products. This global organization combines our network of trading companies, industry leading shipping and maritime capabilities and integrated network of supply and distribution activities, to act as the central nervous system for Royal Dutch Shell adding value across Shell’s Upstream, Downstream and Integrated Gas businesses.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of U.S. federal securities laws, including statements with respect to the operations and capacity of the DPRT, the future expansions of the DPRT, the value and success of the DPRT to SOPUS, STUSCO and TDWP, and the status and success of other TDWP development projects. Words and phrases such as “is expected,” “is planned,” “believes,” “projects,” and similar expressions are used to identify such forward-looking statements. However, the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecast in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements include construction and cost-related risks; risks associated with constructing and operating a terminal in a non-United States jurisdiction; changes in general economic conditions; the effects of competition, in particular, by pipelines and other terminalling facilities; the supply of, and demand for, rail terminalling services for crude oil, refined products and biofuels; hazards and operating risks that may not be covered fully by insurance; disruptions due to equipment interruption or failure at our terminals or third-party facilities on which our business is dependent; natural disasters, weather-related delays, casualty losses and other matters beyond our control; and changes in laws or regulations to which we are subject, including compliance with environmental and operational safety regulations, that may increase costs. TDWP, USDG, SOPUS and STUSCO are under no obligation (and expressly disclaim any such obligation) to update or alter the forward-looking statements contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Contacts

USDG Media Contact:

Meg Martin
(405) 397-6156
mmartin@goodengroup.com

USDG Commercial Contact:

Larry Ruple
(281) 291-3997
lruple@usdg.com

Shell Media Relations Contact:

Ray Fisher
(832) 337-4355
ray.fisher@shell.com

Contacts

USDG Media Contact:

Meg Martin
(405) 397-6156
mmartin@goodengroup.com

USDG Commercial Contact:

Larry Ruple
(281) 291-3997
lruple@usdg.com

Shell Media Relations Contact:

Ray Fisher
(832) 337-4355
ray.fisher@shell.com