The growing prospect of ethane exports from the US has prompted Asian chemical producers to consider whether they should import the cheaper petrochemical fuel as an alternative to their traditional oil-based naphtha feedstock. However, unlike LNG and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), which are already traded globally by tanker, ethane presents more hurdles to budding Asian buyers due to the enormous investment required for new chilled cargo ships, import and unloading infrastructure, and modifications to existing naphtha-based petrochemical crackers which currently dominate the region, analysts say.
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