Hart Energy has learned that Fort Worth-based Brazos Midstream will bring online its 200 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) Comanche II cryogenic gas-processing plant in Reeves County, Texas, in January 2018, a full month ahead of schedule.

Comanche I, at 60 MMcf/d, was brought into service at year-end 2016, and Comanche III, a twin of II, is now due to be started before the end of 2018. That will also be early.

“Construction for Comanche II is well underway and is ahead of schedule,” Stephen Luskey, chief commercial officer and co-founder of Brazos told Hart Energy. “We are in the process of permitting for Comanche III, which will be nice to have all three plants at the same location.”

The three Comanche processing plants are part of an ambitious program for crude and gas gathering in the southern Delaware Basin that Brazos announced in May. The plan included more than 150 miles of gas-gathering pipelines, 35 miles of crude-gathering pipeline, and two crude storage terminals with a combined capacity of 50,000 bbl. The initiative is anchored by long-term acreage dedications from “top-tier” Permian Basin producers.

The gathering system stretches into Ward, Reeves and Pecos counties, Texas.

“With multiple productive zones in and around our area of operation, we expect drilling activity and volume growth to remain strong for years to come,” said CEO Brad Iles in announcing the expansion program.

Brazos has long-term acreage dedications covering more than 200,000 acres. The company’s gathering systems have been designed to support multi-well pad development, which is anticipated to accelerate throughout this year and through 2018.

“All three of our gas processing plants are fully underwritten with long-term dedications from our producer customers,” Luskey said. “Construction on Comanche III will begin in the first quarter of 2018 and the plant will be in service by the end of that year, which is significantly ahead of our original schedule.”

Brazos is active across crude gathering, gas gathering and processing, compression, treating, as well as condensate handling and stabilization. The company owns and operates about 250 miles of gas and crude pipeline in addition to the current big expansion program. It is supported by equity commitments from Old Ironsides Energy and a revolving credit facility.