Marathon Petroleum’s MPLX Bluestone Plant Marks a First for U.S. Midstream Natural Gas Processing Sector

Key Points

• The Bluestone natural gas plant has become the only facility in the U.S. natural gas processing sector ever to achieve the EPA’s ENERGY STAR Challenge for Industry.
• Bluestone, part of Marathon Petroleum’s midstream segment, MPLX, surpassed the requirement of lowering its energy intensity by 10% within a five-year period.
• This feat allowed Bluestone to host an ENERGY STAR Industrial Showcase to highlight its progress for stakeholders, legislators and members of other industries.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR® program is celebrating the Bluestone natural gas plant in Pennsylvania as the first facility of its kind ever to achieve the ENERGY STAR Challenge for Industry. Bluestone, part of Marathon Petroleum Corporation’s (MPC) midstream segment, MPLX, recently received the honor of hosting an ENERGY STAR Industrial Showcase, drawing comparisons to historic global figures.

“In 1954, Roger Bannister became the first man ever to run a mile in less than four minutes. My hope is that Bluestone will be the Bannister of gas processing plant energy efficiency, the path finder that shows the industry what can be done and leads to a cascade of more energy-efficient gas processing plants,” said ENERGY STAR Senior Industrial Energy Advisor Michael Younis.

“My hope is that Bluestone will be the path finder that shows the industry what can be done and leads to a cascade of more energy-efficient gas processing plants.”

Achieving the challenge for industry requires facilities to reduce their energy intensity by 10% within a five-year period. A 12-month rolling average of data showed that Bluestone’s energy intensity decreased almost 15% from its established baseline. This is the equivalent of avoiding carbon dioxide emissions from the electricity use of about 1,288 homes in a year. The plant’s absolute energy consumption decreased 9% at a constant throughput.

“We are taking the lessons learned here at Bluestone and implementing these practices at our facilities in Houston, Pennsylvania, and Sherwood, West Virginia,” said MPLX Vice President, East Region Gathering and Processing Operations, Harold Rinehart who was one of the showcase’s speakers. “Working with ENERGY STAR is a true partnership where doing the right thing for the right reason is rewarded.”

MPC and MPLX President and Chief Executive Officer Maryann Mannen, MPLX Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Greg Floerke and MPLX Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Kris Hagedorn were among the senior company executives at the event.

The industrial showcase also brought together EPA officials, federal and state legislators, local stakeholders and representatives of other industries in the surrounding region. This gave employees opportunities to highlight successful sustainability initiatives at Bluestone and across MPLX through poster presentations and site tours.

“I’m grateful we could raise broader awareness of the company’s achievements as well as shine a light on the local teams that help make it all possible,” said Bluestone Senior Operations Manager Tyler Beck. “Our progress reflects the hard work they put in day after day to safely and reliability help meet the country’s energy needs.”