Midstream marvel: How the Beta Crude Connector serves Midland Basin producers

BY GUS MORGAN

The Beta Crude Connector (BCC), a pipeline system spanning about 100 miles, efficiently transports crude oil from Midland Basin well sites to refineries and export markets.

A wholly owned subsidiary of ConocoPhillips, the BCC is a common carrier pipeline regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). As such, it provides equal service opportunities to all shippers, facilitating a fair and competitive environment.

Supporting multiple producers, the BCC can handle a maximum of 150,000 barrels of crude oil per day, accepting supplies from various lease tank batteries and other field receipt points in the Midland Basin.

Customer experience and market impact

“The BCC system offers our customers, known as shippers, a more direct and efficient route to market,” said BCC Pipeline Manager McDonald Whetstone, “reducing their reliance on truck transportation and providing them access to a broader range of downstream markets.”

The system's design emphasizes optionality and reliability, Whetstone said, allowing shippers to optimize their operations and market access.

"The Beta Crude Connector pipeline system has fundamentally improved the midstream infrastructure in the Midland Basin," he said. "It provides a critical solution to the region's growing production capacity and highlights the importance of innovative midstream solutions in addressing the evolving needs of the oil and gas industry."

ConocoPhillips, a customer of the BCC, uses the pipeline system to transport crude oil from its Midland Basin acreage to market.

“As a shipper, we appreciate BCC’s reliable service,” said Nick McKenna, vice president of the Midland Basin. “Their rigorous safety protocols and regular inspections give us confidence that our product is transported securely." 

Operational duties

Midland Basin North Pipeline Operations Superintendent Bodie Fenton leads a team that handles the pipeline system's operational duties.

“My team ensures the reliability and efficiency of the system,” Fenton said. “We maintain safety and environmental standards and manage the logistics of crude oil transfers across the system. We also ensure the integrity of the pipeline and storage facilities and comply with all regulatory requirements.” 

Fenton’s team oversees a variety of tasks, including handling Lease Automatic Custody Transfer (LACT) units, inspecting valves and pumps, taking water and sediment samples, conducting pigging operations and monitoring for leaks.

Pipeline Lead Jason Torres collaborates with Fenton to ensure compliance with all regulatory requirements and maintain the system’s integrity.

“We go above and beyond what we need to do to stay compliant systemwide,” Torres said. "The most important thing is to keep the oil in the line."

BCC history

The name Beta Crude Connector has its roots in a partnership between Concho Resources and Frontier Midstream Solutions in their efforts to improve the midstream infrastructure and cater to growing production in the northern Delaware Basin and northern Midland Basin.

The companies built the BCC because producers in these regions historically faced potential challenges in transporting crude to market, often relying heavily on trucking, a less efficient and more costly alternative than pipeline transportation.

In 2015, these companies collaborated to construct and manage a pipeline system in the northern Delaware Basin, which they named the Alpha Crude Connector. 

In 2019, the two companies decided to join forces again to create a second pipeline system for the northern Midland Basin. They chose to call this new system the Beta Crude Connector. Each company held a 50 percent equity interest, with Frontier acting as the operator.

In 2020, ConocoPhillips acquired Concho Resources, including its equity interest in the BCC. Subsequently, a subsidiary of ConocoPhillips purchased Frontier’s remaining 50 percent equity interest in the pipeline.

“We purchased the BCC as a strategic investment,” said Lower 48 Finance General Manager and BCC President Lori Woodward, who oversees the management of the pipeline system.