Meanwhile, the US, which was a net importer of all HGL products in 2007, became a net exporter of natural gasoline in 2008, of butane and propane in 2011, and of ethane in 2014. Annual average net propane exports increased from 10,000 b/d in 2011 to an estimated 500,000 b/d in 2015, as liquefied petroleum gas export capacity, including propane and butanes, increased by almost 1 million b/d.
Net propane exports are expected by EIA to increase to 640,000 b/d in 2016 and to 740,000 b/d in 2017, as exports ramp up at two Gulf Coast terminal projects that began operating in the second half of 2015, and at another project scheduled to come online in this year’s second half.
In March, the first waterborne shipment of ethane left the US from ethane export facilities at Marcus Hook, Pa. A second ethane export facility is expected to open in this year’s third quarter at Morgan’s Point, Tex. EIA projects net ethane exports to rise by 80,000 b/d in 2016 and by 90,000 b/d in 2017 as exports ramp up at these terminals.