For the uninitiated youngins, our headline today nods to an earlier time when we OGs learned to read with the help of a schoolbook known as Dick and Jane—characters who introduced us to their Spaniel mix named Spot. Now, Spot had only one directive in that first book, and that was to run—which he did—and over time, that frisky pup landed his own book. Good for Spot.

Reese Energy Consulting today is following another SPOT, which after five years has landed Houston-based Enterprise Products Partners a deepwater port license to construct the Sea Port Oil Terminal 30 nautical miles off the Texas Gulf Coast. Among four offshore crude oil export facilities in development, SPOT is the first to emerge from the regulatory spaghetti farm to build a floating platform capable of loading a VLCC to its maximum 2 MMBbls. No need to top ‘er off via reverse lightering by smaller ships and quicker to load at a rate of 85 MBbls an hour. Enterprise reports SPOT will reduce crude vapor emissions by 95% with the assistance of vapor combustors and offer global markets access to more than 40 distinct grades of crude oil, including WTI.

With another hurdle behind it, the SPOT project will include construction of the 24-hour manned platform, dual bi-directional pipelines, a new inland terminal christened Oyster Creek in Brazoria County, and direct connections to Enterprise’s ECHO terminal and existing midstream systems. Once completed, the terminal will be capable of receiving up to 7 MMBD, primarily from the Permian. SPOT is slated to go live by early 2027. U.S. crude oil exports are expected to hit the 5 MMBPD mark by next year. Good for SPOT. Now it’s up to Enterprise to see SPOT run.