OREANDA-NEWS. Enterprise Products Partners began transitioning to a new primary construction contractor for its new 1.65bn lb/yr propane dehydrogenation (PDH) unit in Mont Belvieu, Texas, in December, the company said in a presentation to analysts this week.

In a filing earlier this month, the Houston-based partnership disclosed it was pushing back its commissioning timeline on the Gulf coast unit to the first quarter of 2017. The unit was previously forecast to start early this year.

Enterprise's PDH unit will consume about 35,000 b/d of propane, according to the company. Delays to Enterprise's project follow Williams' recent disclosure that it will postpone work on its proposed PDH unit in Alberta pending the completion of its merger with Energy Transfer Partners.

Enterprise said work on the Mont Belvieu project, which is 100pc contracted under fee-based contracts lasting on average 15 years, is now going smoothly.

This quarter Dow ramped up operating rates at its new PDH facility in Freeport, Texas. So far this year spot polymer-grade propylene (PGP) prices rose from 28.875?/lb at the start of January to 30.75?/lb yesterday.