Ineos ships US ethane to Europe

Swiss-based Ineos said on Wednesday the LNG multi-gas carrier, Ineos Intrepid, left the Markus Hook terminal near Philadelphia carrying 27,500 cbm of ethane.

“This is the first time that US shale gas has ever been imported into Europe,” Ineos said in a statement.

According to Ineos, the shale gas is cooled to -90ºC (-130ºF) for the journey of 3,800 miles, which is expected to take nine to ten days.

The INEOS Intrepid is one of four Dragon class ships that will form part of a fleet of eight of the “world’s largest” ethane capable carriers. The tanker has “Shale Gas For Progress” emblazoned along its 180 metre length.

Ineos also claims this is the first cargo of ethane shipped from the US to Europe, and it is heading for its cracker facility in Rafnes, Norway.

The facility’s storage tank has the capacity to store 19,000 tons of liquefied gas.

The company has built two ethane storage tanks in Rafnes, Norway, and Grangemouth, Scotland. It plans to use the ethane in its two crackers as fuel and feedstock.

Ineos added that shipments to the Grangemouth facility are scheduled to start later this year. The Grangemouth ethane storage tank is capable of storing 33,000 tons of liquid gas.

LNG World News Staff