Petroplex gets green light for new US terminal

Construction of an $800 million (€580 million) crude oil tank farm proposed by Petroplex over six years ago finally looks to be going ahead in Louisiana, US, thanks to the St. James Parish Council.

The project, which includes a terminal on the Mississippi River, has received a waiver from St. James Parish's newly adopted land use plan that will allow it to proceed on more than 1,700 acres of agricultural fields and woods.

Once built, the tank farm would have capacity to handle and blend 10 million barrels of crude as well as petroleum products, vegetable oil and biodiesel. According to permit documents, the plant will be able to transfer products by ship, rail, road or pipeline to refiners.

Petroplex must also seek permits to run pipelines under River Road that would link the facility with the Mississippi River, one of a series of conditions has been implemented along with the approval.