Port expansion plans, including widening the Corpus Christi Ship Channel, stand to increase oil and gas export capacity to 3 million barrels a day from the 1 million barrels currently being shipped from Port Corpus Christi. Texas Railroad Commissioner Ryan Sitton told those attending a quarterly meeting of the Eagle Ford Consortium in Corpus Christi on Aug. 16 that he has made increasing both the width and depth of the channel a top priority.
“I’m here to bring focus to a project that will eliminate bottlenecks in getting our products to market,” he said at a news conference before the breakfast meeting. “With this port improvement plan, Corpus Christi will be able to handle three percent of the world’s oil consumption. That is a very powerful position. It’s good for Corpus Christi, the state of Texas and the entire country.”
The port has unsuccessfully sought federal funds for more than two decades to dredge the channel to 52 feet. It is now 45 feet deep. Congress approved the funds three times, but the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Office of Management and Budget have yet to allot the money.
“My concern is that political agendas in Washington, D.C., have kept this project from making its way up the priority list to get funded,” Sitton said. “With the U.S. pulling back the crude oil export ban, any excuse not to do this project is gone because this project is no longer about jobs in Corpus Christi. It’s not just about energy opportunities in Texas. It’s about the U.S. global position in energy markets.”
Sitton, who was elected to the Texas Railroad Commission in 2014, pointed to industrial expansions planned for the area, including six pipelines in the works along with new manufacturing plants and refineries. He noted that one-half the growth over the next five years in oil and natural gas will be coming from Asia, China, India and other countries in that part of the world. These countries are expected to consume more oil and gas products than the United States within that time frame.
“Between our oil and gas production, transportation and refining capacity, pipelines, petrochemical facilities and our ports, Corpus Christi is better positioned to capitalize on these opportunities than any other country in the world,” Sitton said. “I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that happens.”