NGL Operations

PMC’s natural gas liquids (NGL) infrastructure includes approximately 2,600 km of pipeline, numerous terminals, storage assets, fractionation and gas liquids processing plants strategically located across Canada and the United States.

Our NGL storage facilities allow producers and their customers to solve supply and demand imbalances. We provide storage when market demands for propane or butane products are low, allowing our customers to respond quickly when market demands increase due to seasonality and other factors. We own and operate over 30 storage facilities and numerous rail and pipeline terminals. We own or have joint ventures in seven fractionation facilities and four gas straddle plants. The combination of our strategically located assets and strong marketing presence in the major storage and trading centres provide the energy product solutions that customers require. Our infrastructure is designed to support our NGL marketing activities, including:

  • purchasing NGL products (including ethane, propane, butane and pentanes) in bulk at major pipeline terminal points and storage locations
  • transporting the NGL via common carrier pipelines, railcars, and trucks to our own terminals and third-party facilities for subsequent resale to wholesale customers
  • exchanging product at other locations to meet contract delivery requirements

About NGL

NGL are ethane, propane, butane, and pentanes (natural gasoline) found in natural gas. They are separated so the natural gas (methane) meets specifications for pipeline transportation. NGL have a higher market value than natural gas and are used as petrochemical feedstock (ethane), in residential, commercial, and auto gas applications (propane), and for gasoline blending (butane).

Where does PMC come in?

As a midstream provider, we are involved in the stages of gas processing, fractionation, storage, marketing and transportation of products like propane. Through these business lines, we bridge the gap between producers and consumers, and monitor and respond to variances in market supply and demand, which fluctuate seasonally.

During times of low demand, we store propane at our storage facilities. When propane heating demand increases, we transport the product via pipeline, truck or rail to distributers who provide the needed supply to the end-user.