Vaquero Permian Gathering LLC—under the larger Vaquero Midstream banner—is strengthening its Pipeline Addition (PA) footprint with a significant 76 miles of new high-pressure loop pipe, fully detailed in Permit #09432.
🔍 Where the Pipe Runs: Counties & Context
This new loop stretches across Loving, Pecos, Reeves, Ward, and Winkler Counties—the beating heart of West Texas’s oil and gas production corridor. These areas are cornerstones of the Delaware Basin, where associated gas volumes continue to surge alongside crude output. By routing through these counties, Vaquero:
- Directly links growing northern Reeves & Loving County production to its processing hub near the Waha Hub in Pecos County.
- Supports emerging wells in Ward & Winkler Counties, feeding the pipeline system with needed capacity as deeper targets come online.
🛠️ Midstream Mastery: Why This PA Matters
As a pure-play midstream operator, Vaquero’s infrastructure moves gas from wells to processing with scale and precision. The new pipeline loop:
- Doubles its gathering capacity from ~400 MMcf/d to ~800 MMcf/d—critical to absorb rising volumes.
- Enhances hydraulic efficiency, debottlenecking the system and improving pressure consistency—avoiding constraints that might throttle producer output.
- Anchors its processing expansion—complementing a 200 MMcf/d cryogenic plant and bringing total capacity to 600 MMcf/d.
This cohesive build—from gathering to processing—cements Vaquero’s reputation for operational excellence and reliable, integrated service.
💰 Building with Financial Firepower
The expansion is backed by a $400 million credit facility (led by BOK Financial), demonstrating strong financial support and a strategic growth vision. Vaquero, with backing from Yorktown Partners, aims to execute swiftly on both the loop and plant, targeting in-service by end of 2025 for the pipeline and March 2026 for the plant.
📝 Takeaway for Producers & Counties
- Producers in Loving, Reeves, Ward, and Winkler now have faster access to critical takeaway infrastructure—reducing flaring, improving netbacks, and boosting drilling economics.
- Local economies benefit from construction jobs, lease revenues, and enhanced community safety and waste management.
- Vs. larger, public integrated midstream giants, Vaquero holds its own—with nimble, focused investments that fill niches ahead of bigger competitors.
🌟 Final Thoughts
Permit #09432’s Pipeline Addition marks more than a pipeline—it’s a strategic midstream deployment that pulses through key West Texas counties. By doubling gathering capacity, bolstering county-level energy production, and reinforcing its processing backbone, Vaquero Midstream demonstrates why it’s a standout independent in the Delaware Basin—well-positioned to connect producers to the heart of U.S. gas markets.
Oil & Gas Account Directory
The Railroad Commission of Texas has issued Pipeline Permit #09432 to Vaquero Permian Gathering LLC for gas gathering and utility operations across five counties in West Texas: Loving, Pecos, Reeves, Ward, and Winkler.
✅ Key Permit Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Permit Holder | Vaquero Permian Gathering LLC |
| Permit Number | 09432 |
| Issue Date | June 4, 2025 |
| Expiration Date | July 31, 2025 |
| Total Permitted Miles | 290.06 miles |
| Regulated Miles | 258.91 miles |
| Unregulated Miles | 31.15 miles |
| Commodity | Gas |
| Classification | Gas Utility |
🛠️ Recent Updates (as of April 29, 2025)
1. New Pipeline Additions – Total: 76.01 miles
Segment Name Size Mileage Goodnight Loop 16″ 6.78 mi Saddleback Loop 24″ 60.88 mi Rodger Doger 16″ 0.59 mi Lincoln-Busch Poly 16″ 0.67 mi Enterprise Onload 8.63″ 0.29 mi Joey Chestnut 16″ 2.93 mi Evergreen Gathering 16″ 3.78 mi Buffalo 16″ 0.09 mi
2. Modifications (No Mileage Change) – Added System Names & IDs:
Nine segments were updated with system names (PLS_SYSNM) and internal system IDs (SYS ID), including:
- Chupacabra
- Commodore Lateral
- Loving Loop
- HP Cooper Station Discharge
- HP Waha Gas Lift
- LP Trunk Gathering Line
- Waha LP Trunk
- Blackbuck
- Mule Deer
These are likely internal naming standardizations for asset tracking and GIS mapping, with no changes in mileage.
🗂️ Breakdown by System Type & Regulation (Total = 290.06 mi)
| System Type | Commodity | Regulated? | Miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| NC (New Construction) | Gas | Yes | 155.51 |
| NC | Gas | No | 25.88 |
| NC | T (likely Test or Temporary) | Yes | 4.98 |
| OM (Other Modification) | Gas | Yes | 22.40 |
| PA (Pipeline Addition) | Gas | Yes | 76.01 |
| OM | Gas | No | 5.27 |
