MarkWest Energy Partners, L.P. announced an operational update regarding the development of midstream infrastructure projects in the heart of the rich-gas areas of the Marcellus and Utica Shales. MarkWest continues to expand its leading midstream presence throughout the Northeast and currently has 21 major processing and fractionation projects under construction. These projects are occurring at eight large-scale complexes in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia and are expected to increase the Partnership's total processing capacity to over 4 billion cubic feet (Bcf/d) and total fractionation capacity to nearly 300,000 barrels per day (Bbl/d) by the end of 2014.

In the Marcellus, MarkWest has commenced operations of Majorsville V, a 200 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) plant at the Majorsville complex in Marshall County, West Virginia. The new plant supports growing rich-gas production from Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE: CHK), and Statoil ASA (NYSE: STO) and increases the total processing capacity at the complex to 670 MMcf/d. The Partnership expects to complete an additional 200 MMcf/d plant during the first quarter of 2014 and will bring online a sixth plant in early 2016. Upon completion of these facilities, the Majorsville complex will have over 1 Bcf/d of capacity.

Tags: MarkWest Energy Partners