LPG in World Markets

Ships fixed on the spot market only account for 4-5% of all LPG seaborne trade in aggregate volume terms.

State-owned Sinopec is centralizing its China LPG marketing activities in a move which will seal China's wholesale LPG market into duopoly.

Saudi LPG production capacity received a boost in January, following the belated completion of a new gas plant in the Kingdom's East.

Naphtha prices may be at their highest since September 2009, but bearish sentiment hangs over the market.

Chinese LPG imports ended the year, strongly, reaching just under 390,000t - and up 150,000t on November figures.

LPG-flexible steam crackers in Europe could swing to propane by March this year, breaking early ground on the summer light feeds cracking season.

US propane exports have been at record levels since December.

Petrochemical (petchem) gas trades are the mainstay for the semi-ref segment. The principal petrochemical gas cargoes are ethylene,
propylene, butadiene, crude C4’s, and vinyl chloride monomer (VCM).