Industry First: ADNOC Loads LPG, Propylene onto Same Ship

The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) has completed the industry’s first co-loading of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and propylene onto the same vessel.

By loading around 12,600 metric tons of propylene and 33,000 metric tons of LPG onto a single vessel, which was docked in Ruwais, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), freight rates were significantly reduced, according to the company.

#ADNOC has safely completed the first co-loading of Liquefied Petroleum Gas and Propylene onto the same vessel, which was docked in #Ruwais, by using an innovative approach reduces shipping costs and generates greater value. pic.twitter.com/woh929DcPi

— ADNOC Group (@AdnocGroup) December 11, 2018

Under normal circumstances, LPG, which is produced by ADNOC Gas Processing, and propylene, which is produced by ADNOC Refining, are transported separately.

“Throughout ADNOC, we are focused on thinking differently to deliver greater value and more efficient operations. This pioneering procedure, the first of its kind in our industry, has the potential to generate significant value for ADNOC,” Abdulla Salem Al Dhaheri, Director of Marketing, Sales and Trading at ADNOC, said.

“Shipping costs, or freight rates as they are more commonly referred to, constitute a significant amount when delivering a product to customers and end-users. By co-loading product that is bound for a particular customer, or location, we are able to deliver substantial cost-savings.”

To enable the co-loading of LPG and propylene, which must be stored at different temperatures, ADNOC conducted a number of workshops with its customers, product specialists and ADNOC Group companies involved in the loading operation.