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Pin Oak Terminals has confirmed that it plans to make a $600 million capital investment in St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana, where it is to build a petroleum liquids storage terminal. The facility is to be located along the east bank of the Mississippi River at Mount Airy, near the St. John/St James parish line.

Commenting on the news, Governor Bobby Jindal said: "All across Louisiana, opportunities continue to arise for those willing to invest in a brighter economic future. Pin Oak Terminals will be a welcome addition to our energy corridor, offering storage, delivery and other services to industrial customers throughout the region. This $600 million project will bring quality jobs to the River Parishes and Southeast Louisiana. We are happy to see developments here that create meaningful employment opportunities for our citizens and demonstrate yet again that Louisiana is great place to live and work."

Facility services planned by Pin Oak include offloading, storage, heating, blending and transfer of petroleum liquids. The company is permitted to construct up to 10 million barrels of storage and unit train loops on its 431-acre site, which is situated for convenient shipping of products by rail, pipeline, barge, ship and truck.

"We were very excited to start Pin Oak Terminals in Louisiana and look forward to expanding our footprint with this new storage terminal facility in St. John the Baptist Parish," Reed said. "The terminal will bring new jobs and economic activity to the community and we are enthusiastic about being a longstanding partner with the Port of South Louisiana, the State of Louisiana, and St. John the Baptist Parish. We plan to grow the facility over time and work with our partners to continue on past successes. The community is vital to us and we intend to remain a mainstay for many years to come. Our focus on growth is centred on superior customer service, safety-first work habits, and uncompromising environmental awareness."

Louisiana Economic Development (LED) began discussing a potential project with the company in October 2012. Pin Oak is said to have considered sites elsewhere in the Gulf South before choosing to build its facility in Louisiana. Construction is expected to begin this year, and operations are forecast to begin in late 2016.

"The commitment today by Pin Oak Terminals to construct a tank facility for receiving, blending and storing of various liquid products will be a tremendous asset to the Port of South Louisiana," said Port Executive Director Paul Aucoin. "The company has plans to significantly expand Phase 1 of its operations over the next five years into a world-class facility at the Mount Airy location. We couldn't be more pleased today to welcome Pin Oak Terminals to the Port of South Louisiana and we will remain committed to work in tandem to see this project realized."

Greater New Orleans Inc. President and CEO, Michael Hecht, said: "Pin Oak Terminals' decision to locate in St. John the Baptist Parish is another example of Louisiana's unmatched combination of low costs, excellent logistics and friendly business climate."

"We welcome these well-paying jobs and look forward to continuing to work with Pin Oak Terminals to ensure its success in greater New Orleans."