United Riverhead Terminal: Long Island’s Deepwater Oil Hub 2026

United Riverhead Terminal operates a 5.2-million-barrel petroleum bulk storage and distribution facility on a 286-acre site in Suffolk County, New York — 80 miles east of New York Harbor on the north shore of Long Island. Its defining asset is an offshore barge and ship platform located one mile into the Long Island Sound, rated at a 62-foot operating draft and classed as the deepest tanker loading and unloading platform on the US East Coast.

The terminal was acquired by the Red Apple Group in November 2012, when United Riverhead Terminal, Inc. completed the purchase of the Phillips 66 Riverhead facility — a 5-million-barrel asset that had previously served as a major regional petroleum hub. The acquisition brought one of Long Island’s most strategically located deep-draft terminals under independent ownership.

United Riverhead Terminal: Offshore Platform and Marine Capability

The offshore platform is URT’s commercial differentiator. Positioned one mile into the Long Island Sound and connected to the inland tank farm by two 24-inch submarine pipelines, it is engineered to receive Suezmax vessels as standard and is capable of handling Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs). At 62 feet of operating draft — located in the deepest channel on the East Coast — it accepts vessel sizes that no other East Coast terminal berth can accommodate at that draft.

The platform also supports vessel-to-vessel transfer and lightering operations, adding a further commercial dimension for operators managing cargo consolidation or product blending offshore. Its position just 30 miles from the Atlantic Ocean eliminates the inland passage constraints that restrict deep-draft vessel access at New York Harbor terminals.

The two submarine pipelines transfer crude oil, distillate oil, residual oil, gasoline, and ultra-low-sulfur diesel (ULSD) between the offshore platform and the onshore tank farm. This dual-pipeline configuration allows simultaneous receipt and dispatch operations and reduces marine vessel turnaround time.

Tank Farm: 20 Tanks Across 5.2 Million Barrels

The onshore storage infrastructure comprises 20 tanks across a 286-acre site split between a 72-acre waterfront tract north of Sound Shore Road and a 214-acre inland tract to the south. Total nameplate capacity is 5.2 million barrels, with 11 of the 20 tanks heated for heavy fuel oil storage.

The tank mix covers a broad product range. Larger heated tanks — including six units at 260,000 to 320,000 barrels — handle low-sulphur straight run (LSSR), vacuum gas oil (VGO), and #6 fuel oil. Non-heated tanks with steel internal floating roofs (IFRs) range from 87,000 to 580,000 barrels and are configured for gasoline, light crude, and ULSD service. The largest single tank on site, Tank 19, holds 580,000 barrels and handles both light and heavy crude alongside #6 oil.

The terminal is compliant with IMO 2020 marine fuel regulations, positioning it to serve the low-sulphur bunker fuel supply chain for vessels transiting the North Atlantic.

Land Distribution and Truck Rack

For regional distribution across eastern Long Island, URT operates a seven-bay truck transfer rack dispensing home heating oil, ULSD, and other refined products directly to commercial tanker trucks. The truck rack serves the home heating oil market across Suffolk County — a seasonally significant demand base given Long Island’s reliance on distillate heating in winter months.

The combined marine receipt and truck dispatch capability positions United Riverhead Terminal as a supply chain intermediary between large-volume ocean imports and last-mile regional fuel delivery — a model with few direct comparisons on the US East Coast given the deep-draft offshore berth.

United Riverhead Terminal in the Wider Market

URT occupies a distinct position in the northeast US petroleum storage market. Unlike the New York Harbor cluster — where IMTT Bayonne anchors a dense network of pipeline-connected terminals serving NYMEX delivery obligations — Riverhead’s competitive advantage is marine access for very large vessels that cannot navigate the Kill Van Kull or Upper Bay at full draft.

This makes URT particularly relevant for crude oil importers and heavy fuel oil traders sourcing large-parcel cargoes from West Africa, Latin America, or the North Sea who require a direct East Coast discharge point without lightering at sea. The facility’s capacity and deep-draft access place it among the larger independent bulk liquid terminals on the East Coast, as reflected in North America’s leading terminal rankings by storage volume.

For a broader view of how terminals like URT fit into the global bulk liquid storage landscape, the complete guide to tank terminals covers operator models, product types, and regional market structures in detail.

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