Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (NYSE:EPD) announced the start-up of the first train at the partnership’s new cryogenic natural gas processing plant at Yoakum, Texas. This facility has a design capacity of 300 million cubic feet per day and can extract approximately 37,000 barrels per day of natural gas liquids.

During the start-up period, the plant will process existing Eagle Ford production in a reduced recovery mode to enable testing of the plant and supporting facilities and make adjustments to plant operations. Incoming natural gas volumes and recovery percentages at the facility will continue to increase throughout the month of May, with full production from the plant expected by June 1, 2012. Prior to the start-up of the Yoakum plant, Enterprise had been utilizing capacity at natural gas processing plants owned by third parties. Most of these volumes will now be diverted and processed at the Yoakum facility.

“The coordination, hard work and dedication exhibited by our employees in Houston and in the field has been tremendous and allowed us to complete this first train on schedule and under budget,” said A.J. “Jim” Teague, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Enterprise’s general partner. “The long-term outlook in the Eagle Ford Shale continues to show growth in rich gas production and Enterprise is well-positioned to help meet the need for midstream infrastructure through the cost-effective expansion of our integrated network.”

A 65-mile, 36-inch diameter residue natural gas pipeline linking the Yoakum plant to Enterprise’s Wilson natural gas storage facility was completed in April 2012. Additionally, the partnership has also completed construction of 169 miles of 20-inch and 24-inch diameter pipeline for delivering mixed NGLs extracted at Yoakum to Enterprise’s fractionation and storage complex at Mont Belvieu, Texas.