Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Winton, John M

Titel

The Looming LPG Glut: Olefin Makers Will Be in the Catbird Seat

Ist Teil von

• Chemical week, 1984-05, Vol.134 (18), p.32-32

Ort / Verlag

Englewood: IHS Markit Ltd

Erscheinungsjahr

1984

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• There is currently an enormous buildup in liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) worldwide. Between 1983 and 1995, the supply of LPG from all sources could soar by 41%, to 132 million metric tons annually. The base demand, however, is expected to increase during the same period by just 27%, to 118.5 million metric tons annually. All this means that feedstock buyers for olefin plants, especially in the US, will likely have distinct advantages: They, unlike many offshore counterparts, can handle LPG and other natural gas liquids (NGL), along with heavy liquids such as gas oil and naphtha. The US chemical industry has had a strong appetite for NGLs for many years; in 1982, NGLs comprised 79% of the ethylene produced in the US. Still, some loss in the portion of the US feedstock market now controlled by NGLs is expected, and many gas extractors are replacing absorption plants with new cryogenic-expander facilities.