How you currently move mixed NGL streams

• How often do you deliver mixed NGL streams to an external fractionator versus selling the unseparated mix directly? Options: Mostly external fractionators, Mostly sell unseparated, Roughly 50/50, Varies by season
• Tell me about your typical inlet volume profile, by month, for the last 12 months
• How many barrels per day do you expect to flow to fractionation in a typical high month and a typical low month?
• Walk me through your forecasting cadence and who owns the 1, 6, and 12 month forecasts Options: Operations owns 1 month, Commercial owns 6 month, Marketing owns 12 month, Commercial owns all horizons, Shared ownership, Other
• Which products are you most focused on maximizing value for when separating—ethane, propane, normal butane, isobutane, or natural gasoline? Options: Ethane, Propane, Normal butane, Isobutane, Natural gasoline, All equally
• If your 12 month inlet forecast falls below your minimum commitment threshold, would you pause or cancel contracting for fractionation capacity? Options: Pause negotiations, Proceed with reduced commitment, Cancel contracting, Depends on commercial terms

Where volume swings and quality strains deals

• When has an abrupt inlet volume swing recently forced you to reroute or postpone placements, and what happened?
• How wide is the typical quality range of the mixed NGL you deliver, measured by C2–C5 composition or spec parameters? Options: Very narrow (minor variation), Moderate variation, Wide variation
• Which upstream events create the largest quality or volume volatility for you, pipeline imbalances, processing upsets, seasonal gas, or other reasons? Options: Pipeline imbalances, Processing upsets, Seasonal production swings, Customer nominations, Other
• Describe a time when an off-spec product delivery triggered penalties, how large were the financial or operational consequences?
• Is there a maximum allowable spec deviation or inlet contaminant that would make you stop a placement immediately? Options: Yes, we have firm limits, We have flexible thresholds, No explicit limit, evaluated case-by-case
• Which single inlet characteristic, if consistently out of range, would kill the prospect of working with an external fractionator?

Where pricing shifts break the economics

• When did a recent price movement make a tolling deal uneconomic for you, and how did you respond?
• How sensitive are your economics to a 10% change in the combined product netback relative to tolling? Options: Very sensitive, Moderately sensitive, Not very sensitive
• Which commercial model do you prefer for fractionation, a fixed toll, a variable fee tied to spreads, or a hybrid? Options: Fixed toll, Variable fee tied to spreads, Hybrid, Undecided
• Do you use hedges or market positions to protect against spread compression and if so, who on your team manages that? Options: Yes, internal trading desk, Yes, external advisor, No hedging, Planned but not active
• Is there a spread level or toll floor below which you will not sign a multi-month commitment? Options: Yes, we have a floor, No firm floor, negotiable, Unsure
• If we proposed a short proof period with a defined toll range, would that meaningfully accelerate your decision? Options: Yes, would accelerate, Maybe, depends on terms, No, would not accelerate

Who must be convinced before the contract lands

• Which internal stakeholder last vetoed a midstream contract, and what was their primary concern?
• List the stakeholders who must sign off on a multi-year tolling agreement and the single concern each raises
• How quickly does your CFO require visibility into credit exposure and what documentation do they insist on before approval? Options: Immediate detailed credit pack, High level summary then details, Minimal documentation, Depends on contract value
• Who on your commercial team owns nomination cadence and dispute settlement in the event of settlement disagreements? Options: Commercial lead, Operations lead, Third party settlement team, Shared responsibility
• If legal or finance insists on a termination window shorter than 12 months, would that block the deal or require rework? Options: Block the deal, Require rework, Acceptable with concessions, Unsure

Connectivity and placement realities that matter

• Which pipeline headers or downstream connections are non-negotiable for your placements, and why?
• How important is dedicated cavern storage versus access to shared tanks for your ability to capture seasonal or export premiums? Options: Dedicated storage essential, Shared tanks acceptable, Storage not a priority
• Describe any routing or delivery constraints you currently have, for example meter limitations, pressure limits, or batch sequencing needs
• Do you require specific metering, sampling, or custody transfer procedures at the interconnect? Options: Yes, specific procedures required, Standard industry procedures acceptable, No strict requirements
• Are there absolute header, routing, or product-placement constraints that would rule out using a particular fractionation site? Options: Yes, absolute constraints exist, Some constraints but workable, No absolute constraints
• If a site cannot guarantee access to your preferred header during peak months, would you walk away? Options: Yes, would walk away, Negotiate different terms, Proceed with contingency plans, Depends on economics

Operational readiness and technical gates

• If your team cannot provide electronic nomination feeds or a named operations contact within two weeks, can the onboarding timeline stay intact? Options: No, onboarding would slip, Yes, we can provide alternatives, Unsure
• Which systems generate your nominations and custody data, and are APIs available for automated exchange? Options: Internal SCADA/EMS with APIs, Third-party commercial system with APIs, Manual processes, no APIs, Other
• Who owns the data cleanliness and sample release process and how long does it take to produce historical sample sets on request? Options: Operations owns, <2 weeks, Commercial owns, 2–4 weeks, Data team owns, >4 weeks, No historical sets readily available
• Do you currently have credit, regulatory, or counterparty holds that could prevent a capacity reservation within the next 60 days? Options: Yes, holds exist, No holds, Unsure, need to check
• How many dedicated headcount hours per week can your team assign to onboarding, nominations, and early operations? Options: 0–5 hours, 6–15 hours, 16–40 hours, More than 40 hours
• Which single missing technical dependency would stop the project from advancing on schedule?

Failure modes, penalties, and contingency thinking

• What single operational failure in the upstream to fractionator handoff has historically cost you the most in lost sales or penalties?
• How do you prefer to allocate responsibility for unplanned outages, turnarounds, or off-spec volumes in a commercial agreement? Options: Seller responsible, Buyer responsible, Shared by formula, Case-by-case
• When an outage occurs, what escalation path and timeline does your team expect for restoring throughput? Options: Immediate 24/7 ops until fixed, Normal business hours response, Agreed SLA with penalties, Other
• Have off-spec penalties in past agreements materially changed how you price tolling or storage commitments? Options: Yes, significantly, Somewhat, Not really
• Would a contractual requirement to develop a joint contingency plan before service start be acceptable or a blocker? Options: Acceptable, Require changes, Blocker
• If a turnaround at our site overlapped your peak month, what would you need in writing to continue the relationship?

The other paths you are weighing

• If you stay with the incumbent or current pathway, what would have to be true for that to remain the best choice?
• Which alternatives are you actively considering, such as a different fractionator, moving volumes to another hub, spot sales, or building internal fractionation? Options: Another fractionator, Move to different hub, Spot market sales, Build in-house, Other
• Has anyone internally proposed solving fractionation or storage needs without an outside partner, and what is the timeline they quoted? Options: Yes, <12 months, Yes, 12–24 months, Yes, >24 months, No internal build proposed
• What would need to change about your current approach for you to switch to an external fractionator today?
• Which single alternative, if selected, would immediately stop you from pursuing an external fractionation agreement?

Success criteria that speed signing

• If a 90 day trial met your throughput and spec targets, what internal approval would still be required to convert to a longer agreement?
• Which measurable acceptance metrics matter most for you, throughput, product-spec compliance, time-to-first-delivery, or settlement accuracy? Options: Throughput, Product-spec compliance, Time-to-first-delivery, Settlement accuracy, All of the above
• What contract duration and renewal mechanics would your commercial team prefer for a multi-year relationship? Options: 1 year with auto-renew, 3 year with renewal option, 5 year with annual review, Other
• What single acceptance criterion must be met for you to sign within 30 days after a successful trial?
• If credit or regulatory sign-offs are required after the trial, what is your target window to complete those approvals? Options: Within 2 weeks, 2–4 weeks, 1–2 months, Longer than 2 months
• Would a clear pilot that includes guaranteed inlet capacity and sample-quality validation materially accelerate your internal decision? Options: Yes, Maybe, No

• Solution Experience Session

• Confirm the current state and its cost
• You confirm that the demonstrated mapping of your forecast to fractionation, storage timing, and pipeline placement captures the operational constraints you face.
• Run the sample forecast on the provided monthly volumes and deliver a scenario report showing throughput, placement map, and tolling sensitivity before the follow-up session.
• Provide a 12-month monthly inlet volume forecast by product, list of pipeline access constraints, and preferred placement priorities.
• Map your forecast to fractionation throughput
• You agree that the economic sensitivity surfaces the key breakpoints that will determine whether tolling is economical under your scenarios.
• Demonstrate storage timing and price placement outcomes
• You and the seller agree the remaining evidence needed to move toward a mutual commercial commitment and a date for that decision.
• Agree on a short list of success signals and a target decision date for moving from discovery to mutual commit.
• Overlay pipeline connectivity and placement constraints
• Run economic sensitivity on spreads and tolls
• Validate the mapped future state

• Solution Experience Session
• Solution Experience Deck
• Solution Brief

• meeting
• slides
• document

• Fractionate mixed NGL streams to purity products
• Provide cavern storage for purity products
• Deliver product transfers to pipeline headers
• Metering and custody transfer documentation
• Quality testing and product certification
• Blending and specification adjustment services
• Throughput capacity reservation (inlet allocation)
• Tolling fee invoicing and settlement
• Operational throughput modulation during volume swings
• Product delivery to export docks and terminals
• Daily inventory and product allocation statements
• On-spec/off-spec handling and remediation

Fractionate mixed NGL streams to purity products

• List the inlet stream names and average and peak volumes (bbl/day) you plan to send for fractionation.
• Specify target product purity by product (ethane %, propane %, normal butane %, isobutane %, natural gasoline % by mol or mass) you will accept and the allowable variance.
• Identify allowable product quality thresholds you require for water (ppm), sulfur (ppm), and hydrocarbon dew point for each cut you are supplying.
• Name the operations contact on your team for upstream sample issues and their preferred notification channel.

Provide cavern storage for purity products

• How many barrels (bbl) of each product do you require reserved in cavern storage at average and peak? Options: Less than 50,000 bbl total, 50,000-200,000 bbl, 200,000-500,000 bbl, More than 500,000 bbl, Specify exact volumes in free text
• Indicate minimum days-of-supply you need held per product for seasonal hedging. Options: 3 days, 7 days, 14 days, 30 days, Custom - specify
• Detail required withdrawal rates (bbl/day) you expect and any peak-lift guarantees per product.
• Enumerate custody or segregation requirements for allocated cavern lots you require (dedicated cavern, tagged batches, fungible pool). Options: Dedicated cavern per account, Tagged batch per customer, Fungible pool with allocation statements, Hybrid - specify details

Deliver product transfers to pipeline headers

• Identify pipeline headers and interconnect points where you require deliveries, including maximum flow per header (bbl/day).
• State allowable batch sizes and minimum cycle times for transfers to each pipeline header you will use. Options: Smaller batch (<=10,000 bbl), Standard batch (10,000-50,000 bbl), Large batch (>50,000 bbl), Custom - specify sizes
• Declare any pigging, line-fill, or mixing constraints you need to honor that affect product placement to headers.
• Appoint the operational recipient on your side who will receive transfer confirmations and exceptions and provide their contact role.

Metering and custody transfer documentation

• Select metering technologies and target accuracy classes required for custody transfer (examples: ultrasonic ±0.25%, turbine ±0.5%) you require. Options: Ultrasonic ±0.25%, Turbine ±0.5%, Orifice with calibration schedule, Existing meter to be accepted with calibration evidence, Other - specify
• What acceptance evidence will validate custody transfer quantities (meter run sheets, calibration certificates, third-party test reports) and what file formats will you accept? Options: PDF meter run sheets + scanned calibration certs, Structured EDI (meter data) + calibration attachments, API/REST feed with HMAC authentication, Other - specify formats
• Explain required calibration cadence and whether you require third-party verification. Options: Calibration every 6 months, Calibration every 12 months, Calibration after significant maintenance or outage, Third-party verification required, No third-party verification required
• Assign the contact on your team responsible for resolving meter discrepancies and specify their escalation authority.

Quality testing and product certification

• List laboratory test methods and reporting fields required for a certificate of analysis for each product you will receive (for example gas chromatography composition, water ppm, sulfur ppm).
• What acceptance criteria will confirm product on-spec delivery (minimum mol% purity, max water ppm, max sulfur ppm) and which sample port(s) will you use for verification?
• Are third-party lab accreditations (for example ISO/IEC 17025) required for certificates of analysis you will accept? Options: Yes - ISO/IEC 17025 required, Preferred but not required, No third-party accreditation required
• Name the role on your team that approves off-spec remediation plans and confirm expected remedial timeline thresholds (hours/days) you will accept.

Blending and specification adjustment services

• Describe blending capabilities you require to adjust Reid vapor pressure (RVP), octane proxies, or composition for pipeline acceptance.
• State feedstocks and blending components you intend to supply and maximum allowable concentration per blend.
• Detail target specification ranges for blended outputs by product you expect (for example propane purity %, isobutane/n-butane split).
• Who will authorize blending recipes and batch paperwork on your side, and what approval SLA do you require? Options: Immediate approval (within 1 hour), Same business day, Next business day, Custom SLA - specify

Throughput capacity reservation (inlet allocation)

• Provide inlet capacity you require reserved (firm bbl/day and interruptible bbl/day) and expected start date for reservation.
• Indicate reservation term you prefer (monthly, seasonal, annual) and whether you need ramp-up protection. Options: Monthly, Seasonal (3-6 months), Annual, Multi-year
• Outline performance SLAs for reserved capacity you expect (minimum utilization %, permitted outages, force majeure treatment).
• Assign the commercial role on your team authorized to nominate and modify reserved inlet allocations and provide their contact role.

Tolling fee invoicing and settlement

• Choose the tolling pricing model you prefer (fixed fee per bbl, percent of product value, hybrid) and note any preferred escalation mechanics you require. Options: Fixed fee per bbl, Percent of product realized value, Hybrid (base fee + variable %)
• Outline invoicing cadence you require (daily, weekly, monthly) and mandatory invoice line-item detail. Options: Daily invoices, Weekly invoices, Monthly invoices, Custom cadence - specify
• Explain settlement netting and timing rules you expect for multi-product billing you will accept.
• Select credit instruments or collateral you require (letter of credit, cash escrow, parent guarantee, none). Options: Letter of Credit, Cash escrow, Parent guarantee, Unsecured / none

Operational throughput modulation during volume swings

• Estimate the typical magnitude of inbound volume swings you expect (percent change intraday, weekly, seasonal) and maximum ramp rate (bbl/hour) you can tolerate.
• Choose throttling rules you prefer under capacity stress (pro-rata, product-priority, contract-tier priority) and state fallback sequencing. Options: Pro-rata by contract volume, Priority by product demand, Priority by contract tier, Custom sequencing - describe
• Describe how you want storage allocations used during low-margin periods to preserve toll economics (hold product, release to market, swap allocations). Options: Hold product in storage, Release to market immediately, Swap storage allocation with other product, Combination - describe
• Appoint the operational decision-maker on your side for real-time throughput modulation and specify their authorization limits.

Product delivery to export docks and terminals

• Declare terminal and dock slots you require for export-loading and maximum lift rates (bbl/hr) for each.
• Specify docking safety and interface requirements you need (loading hose class, vapor recovery compatibility, emergency shutdown compatibility). Options: Standard hose class A, Higher spec hose class B, Vapor recovery required, ESD compatibility with terminal required
• Enumerate export documentation requirements that must accompany lifts you send (export declaration, quality certificate, proof of ownership) and your preferred document delivery method. Options: Email PDF, EDI transmission, Platform upload, Physical paperwork on request
• Who on your team will coordinate terminal scheduling conflicts and vessel demurrage communications, and what authority will they have?

Daily inventory and product allocation statements

• Provide the daily inventory reporting format you require (CSV ledger, PDF, EDI 889) and mandatory fields you need included. Options: CSV ledger with timestamps, PDF daily statement, EDI 889 or equivalent, Custom - specify format
• Define how product allocations should be calculated (pro-rata by volume, priority allocation, pro-rated by toll) and the effective timestamp you require. Options: Pro-rata by inlet volume, Priority allocation by contract, Pro-rated by toll charged, Custom formula - describe
• Please confirm whether you require audit trails and digital signatures for allocation changes and your retention period for audit logs. Options: Yes - digital signatures and 7 years retention, Yes - digital signatures and 3 years retention, No audit-signature requirement, retention 1 year, Other - specify
• Designate the role on your team responsible for reconciling allocation variances and state SLAs for reconciliation resolution you expect.

On-spec/off-spec handling and remediation

• Map the on-spec acceptance testing workflow and timing you require for receiving product at header or storage (sampling point, test turnaround hours).
• Recommend remediation options you accept for off-spec product (reblend, corrective processing, reject and return) and preferred timelines. Options: Reblend and retest within 24 hours, Corrective processing with 48-72 hour SLA, Reject and return to origin, Combination - specify rules
• Designate the role that authorizes disposition of off-spec inventory for your account and specify applicable financial responsibility limits.
• Define the SLA for remediation completion you require and acceptable proof of completion for settlements. Options: Remediation within 24 hours, Remediation within 72 hours, Remediation within 7 days, Custom SLA - specify

• Master Services Agreement (MSA)
• Statement of Work (SOW) — Operational Scope
• Commercial Terms Schedule (Rates & Billing)
• Capacity Reservation / Order Confirmation
• Credit Support & Security Agreement
• Liability, Insurance & Indemnity Addendum
• Operational Readiness & Interconnect Statement
• Service Level Agreement (SLA) & Performance Credits
• Term, Renewal & Early Termination Schedule
• Settlement, Measurement & Dispute Resolution Procedure

• Go-live Health Check
• First Measurement Review
• Acceptance Gate Review (90-day)
• Quarterly Operational Success Review

• Prepare the next quarter's metric pack with raw data extracts and variance explanations for review prior to the next meeting.
• Deliver a variance report that includes raw data extracts, calculation logic, and recommended corrective actions within 5 business days.
• Implement agreed operational adjustments, and record the effective date and verification checklist for each change.
• Schedule a follow-up data snapshot to confirm the impact of corrective actions one week after implementation.
• Re-state acceptance criteria and numeric targets
• Produce a documented pass or fail outcome for each acceptance criterion recorded in Commercial & Operational Scope.
• If any criterion fails or is conditional, agree a remediation plan with deadlines and verification steps.
• Publish an acceptance record that includes the evidence pack and the named buyer signatory where formal sign-off is required.
• Publish the acceptance decision and attach the supporting evidence pack to the shared workspace.
• Create a remediation tracker for any failed or conditional criteria with due dates and verification checklists.
• Schedule the re-check meeting for any conditional acceptance items once remediation evidence is available.
• Throughput and compliance trends
• Confirm on-spec product percentage and settlement accuracy rate are within acceptable variance to the targets recorded in Commercial & Operational Scope or agree remediation steps.
• Clear or re-prioritize the enhancement backlog to focus on items with the highest operational impact.
• Ensure the remediation tracker reflects current status and has completion dates for all active items.
• Update the enhancement backlog with priorities and target completion quarters, and publish the updated backlog.
• Open reconciliation tasks for any settlement disputes and record the expected correction and settlement date.
• Re-confirm success criteria and owners
• Confirm deployment components are live and monitoring feeds report nominal status.
• Document the top operational blockers and agree remediation next steps and dates.
• Ensure nomination and storage handover procedures are understood by named owners.
• Publish a go-live health report summarizing system checks, early exceptions, and agreed remediation timelines.
• Log each open issue in the shared channel with a resolution date and verification criterion.
• Provide an updated contact and escalation list for operations and settlements.
• Present first measurement data
• Determine whether average daily inlet throughput and on-spec product percentage for ethane and propane are tracking toward the targets recorded in Commercial & Operational Scope.
• Agree a prioritized list of corrective actions with implementation windows to close the largest variances.
• Confirm the data sources and validation method that will be used at the acceptance gate.
• Present outcome data against each criterion
• Commercial settlements and accuracy
• Deployment validation and system checks
• Variance analysis by product and route
• Document pass/fail per criterion
• Operational handover and nomination flow
• Persistent issues and root-cause updates
• Root-cause diagnosis
• Formal acceptance decision
• Early adoption signals and usage patterns
• Corrective actions and timelines
• Enhancement and operational improvement backlog
• Confirm path to acceptance gate
• Quarterly action summary and timeline
• Open issues and blockers
• Agree remediation plan for any failures
• Immediate remediation actions and short timeline