Fairway Energy Partners, LLC to Construct Houston Crude Oil Storage Facility

HOUSTON, July 23, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Fairway Energy Partners, LLC (Fairway) today announced the closing of a private equity offering, the net proceeds of which will be used to fund the construction of the first phase of the Pierce Junction Crude Oil Storage facility. Fairway plans to use this capital to convert three existing underground storage caverns at the Pierce Junction Salt Dome in south Houston into crude oil storage service and to build out all of the requisite pipelines, brine ponds, interconnects and pumping capacity to put the facility in commercial service. FBR Capital Markets & Co., a subsidiary of FBR & Co., served as the sole placement agent and initial purchaser in this offering, which was executed pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933 and other exemptions.

The initial phase of the project is expected to be in service by the end of 2016 and has been designed to allow for storage of three segregations of crude oil for a total capacity of approximately 10 million barrels. Overall, Fairway has expansion rights up to a total of approximately 20 million barrels at Pierce Junction. Following the completion of Phase I, the company intends to take the project to its full capacity during a second phase of the project. Fairway has secured the exclusive right to store crude oil on the Pierce Junction Salt Dome.

Phase I also includes the construction of two separate bi--directional 24--inch pipelines intended to connect the facility to the existing Houston area crude oil grid, adding more than one million barrels per day of pipeline receipt and delivery capability in the Houston marketplace. The proposed pipelines will traverse approximately 21 miles across the Houston area to connect the caverns to the Genoa Junction and Speed Junction hubs. This should enable Fairway to provide receipt capability from inbound crude oil pipelines from the Permian and Eagle Ford Basins, the Mid--Continent and Canadian regions as well as the Gulf of Mexico. The hubs provide downstream connectivity to terminals, refineries and water outlets located in the Houston Ship Channel, Texas City and Beaumont/Port Arthur market areas.

In the first phase, Fairway will also construct brine ponds with approximately 10 million barrels of capacity and central pumping and metering facilities at the site. The project is designed as a closed system, minimizing any new air emissions as well as customers' volumetric losses.

"This project will serve the growing crude oil storage needs driven by the significant delivery of new pipeline--delivered crude oil into and through the Houston market. We're offering a new, low--cost option to the market as a fee for service based provider. We do not intend to take title to the crude oil that we will handle and store, nor will we trade crude oil," said Fairway CEO Chris Hilgert. "We are delighted to have the continued support of our original financial sponsor, Haddington Ventures, LLC (Haddington), as well as the new investors in Fairway who were brought to us through the engagement and efforts of FBR."

Haddington was active in facilitating the transaction and will continue as a major investor in Fairway. "We are very excited about our investment in Fairway," said Chris Jones, Managing Partner of Haddington. "Our long history with underground storage fits well with Fairway's initiative and we look forward to continuing our involvement with the company to advance this critical project into the marketplace."

This press release relates to an offering that has been closed and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, and does not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

Fairway's counsel for the transaction was Andrews Kurth LLP. Sidley Austin LLP represented FBR.

About Fairway Energy Partners LLC
Houston--headquartered Fairway is a growth oriented crude oil storage company focusing on constructing and placing into service the Pierce Junction Crude Oil Storage facility. The company is strategically positioned as the only independent salt dome crude oil storage terminal in the greater Houston market area. The company's website is www.fairwaymidstream.com. For additional information to contract for storage capacity, please contact Kevin Hickey, Chief Commercial Officer, at (713) 960--4742 or [email protected].

About FBR & Co.
FBR provides investment banking, merger and acquisition advisory, institutional brokerage, and research services through its subsidiary FBR Capital Markets & Co. FBR focuses capital and financial expertise on the following industry sectors: consumer; diversified industrials; energy & natural resources; financial institutions; healthcare; insurance; real estate; and technology, media & telecom. FBR is headquartered in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area with offices throughout the United States. For more information regarding FBR's energy practice, please contact Allen Morton, Senior Managing Director and Energy Group Head, at (713) 226--4718 or [email protected].

About Haddington Ventures LLC
Haddington, a Delaware limited liability company, is a Houston--based private equity firm that specializes in control--oriented investments in the midstream energy and infrastructure space. Haddington currently has approximately $572 million of assets under management. Haddington is a registered investment advisor with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For further information, visit Haddington's website at www.hvllc.com. RBC Capital Markets served as special advisor to Haddington in connection with the transaction.

Forward--Looking Statements. This press release includes "forward--looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such statements may include, but are not limited to, statements about our future financial and operating results as well as our plans, objectives, expectations and intentions. Our forward--looking statements are generally, but not always, accompanied by words such as "estimate," "project," "predict," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "potential," "should," "may," "will," plan," "goal," "can," "could," "continuing," "ongoing," "intend," or other words that convey the uncertainty of future events or outcomes. While our management considers these expectations and assumptions to be reasonable, they are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, regulatory and other risks, contingencies and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control. These and other important factors may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward--looking statements.

Any or all of our forward--looking statements in this press release may turn out to be inaccurate. The inclusion of this forward--looking information should not be regarded as a representation by us or any other person that the future plans, estimates or expectations contemplated by us will be achieved. We have based these forward--looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect the development of the proposed storage caverns, our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. These are important factors that could cause your actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results, level of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward--look statements including, but not limited to , adverse regional, national or international economic conditions; changes in the marketplace for our products or services, such as increased competition, better energy efficiency, or general reductions in demand; changes in the availability and cost of capital; unanticipated capital expenditures in connection with the construction, repair, or replacement of our assets; operating hazards, natural disasters, terrorism, weather--related delays, adverse weather conditions, including hurricanes and natural disasters, environmental releases, casualty losses and other matters beyond our control that interrupt our operations; and the effects of existing and future laws and governmental regulations to which we are subject.

SOURCE Fairway Energy Partners, LLC

Related Links

http://www.fairwaymidstream.com