No LPG Tankers Cross Strait of Hormuz After US Blockade on Iranian Ports
LPG transit through the Strait of Hormuz has ground to a halt following a U.S. blockade on Iranian ports. With 31 tankers currently stranded in the Middle East and CFR Japan prices up nearly 50% from pre-war levels, Asian importers are forced to pivot toward U.S. alternatives. This shift is intensifying competition for U.S. Gulf Coast supply and creating a high-stakes bottleneck for global trade flows. Read More
Asia’s Flexible Crackers to Raise LPG Feed in May Despite Mideast Risks: OPIS Poll
Asia’s flexible-feed crackers are projected to increase their LPG intake in May amid continuing uncertainties posed by the Middle East conflict, contrary to the decline seen in April, according to the latest monthly OPIS cracking survey concluded on Tuesday. Read More
Europe April Ethylene Contract Settles Up 39% at €1,595/mt on Conflict Disruption
The European ethylene monthly contract price for April delivery jumped 39% month on month to settle at €1,595 ($1,837)/metric ton Tuesday amid supply disruptions, according to producers and Chemical Market Analytics (CMA) by OPIS, a Dow Jones company. Read More
Europe Faces Uphill Battle to Replenish Gas Stocks by Q4
European natural gas buyers faces an uphill battle in a competition with Asia to secure enough tonnage ahead of the fourth quarter this year, as inventories in Europe fall close to four-year lows, data from Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE) showed. Read More
Oil Markets to Face Extensive Fallout from Qatar Strikes
Petroleum product markets are feeling the impact of drone attacks on QatarEnergy’s infrastructure and bracing for an extensive fallout that could ripple through global markets for at least a year, even after the conflict subsides. Read More
US Supply May Fall Short as Alternative for India’s LPG Needs: Sources
The U.S. may fall short as an alternative source for India’s LPG imports amid the ongoing Middle East conflict, despite being the main replacement option, market sources said. Read More
South Korea Flags Naphtha As Security Item Amid Supply Crunch
South Korea will temporarily designate naphtha as an "economic security item", allowing affected companies to receive government support amid heightened supply chain risks, according to local media reports. Read More
China’s Naphtha Market Braces for Further Challenges as Russian Oil Waivers Expand
While crackers across Asia are rushing to secure Russian cargoes following the Trump administration’s expansion of the Russian oil sanction waiver on Friday, naphtha-fed crackers in China could face greater obstacles, as the once-discounted cargoes become more elusive. Read More
Asia’s Cracking Volumes Fall Amid Mideast Conflict: OPIS Poll
April cracking volumes across Asia’s flexible crackers are set to plunge as escalating Middle East hostilities have disrupted feedstock supply and prompted a wave of force majeure declarations by petrochemical firms, according to the latest monthly OPIS cracking survey concluded on Tuesday. Read More
European Physical Propane Price Rallies to Three-Year High on Middle East Conflict
The OPIS assessed CIF Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) physical propane price for March has climbed $101.50/metric ton over the past two days to reach its highest level since March 2023. Read More
New War Risk Insurance Premiums Expected for Middle East Gulf by March 7
Following an escalation of tensions in the Middle East Gulf, insurance underwriters are expected to issue new war risk premiums by March 7, a shipping management firm informed OPIS on Thursday. Read More
Butane Increases Share in US Export Portfolio at Expense of Propane
U.S. butane exports rose in February at the expense of propane, a trend which has rolled into March and been exacerbated by the conflict in the Middle East, shipping data showed this week. Read More
Vietnam’s PV Gas Boosts LPG Output Amid Mideast Supply Disruptions
PV Gas Trading has declared force majeure on LPG deliveries in Southern Vietnam following supply disruptions from Saudi Arabia and shipping blockages in the Strait of Hormuz. To mitigate the impact, the company is boosting domestic production by 5% and pivoting toward LNG and pipeline gas as alternative energy sources for its customers. Read More
OPIS Successfully Completes its 12th Annual IOSCO Assurance Review
Independent assessment affirms the accuracy and integrity of OPIS’s energy, renewables and coal commodity benchmarks Read More
FOB US Gulf Coast Propane Values Reach Highest Level in More than 16 Months
FOB U.S. Gulf Coast propane values surged to a 16-month high following geopolitical escalations between the U.S., Israel, and Iran. While notional netbacks are pegged above +20cts/gal, market participants warn that a potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz is severely complicating shipping arrangements and cargo availability. Read More
Mideast Conflict Widens US-Asia LPG Arbitrage Window
The conflict involving the U.S., Israel, and Iran has widened the U.S.-Asia LPG arbitrage, with the spread between the OPIS Mont Belvieu Enterprise (Non-TET) and Far East propane swaps opening at $307.58 per metric ton. Sources indicate that geopolitical tensions have introduced a war risk premium, prompting shipowners to avoid the Strait of Hormuz and the Suez Canal in favor of U.S. cargoes. Read More
Aramco’s Juaymah Outage Lifts Asian LPG Prices as Buyers Seek Alternatives
A structural collapse at Saudi Aramco’s Juaymah NGL facility at Ras Tanura on Monday has driven Asian LPG prices sharply higher, with importers seeking alternative cargoes after March loadings were cancelled. Read More
USGC-Europe, Asia LPG Arbitrages Soar to 16-Month High
LPG pricing spreads between the U.S. Gulf, Northwest Europe, and Asia have surged to 16-month highs following a major infrastructure failure at Saudi Aramco’s Juaymah NGL terminal. With March cargo acceptances cancelled and exports potentially cut by 74%, the widening arbitrage is driving up global propane assessments and increasing demand for U.S. Gulf VLGC exports. Read More
Asia’s Propane-Butane Spread Narrows on Shift to Mixed US Cargoes
Asia’s propane-butane price spread is narrowing as U.S. suppliers shift from lifting propane-heavy cargoes to evenly split propane-butane mixes, market sources told OPIS. Read More
Rising Prices, Maintenance to Cap Asia’s LPG Cracking in March: OPIS Poll
Flexible crackers in Asia are set to reduce LPG cracking volumes in February and March, as a sustained price rally and a heavy maintenance season in the first quarter continue to keep buying activities at bay, according to the latest monthly OPIS survey. Read More
Chinese LPG Buyers Shift From Term Deals to Spot Buying
Chinese propane dehydrogenation operators have increased spot market activity for LPG cargoes, as buying interest shifts away from term supply contracts amid persistent price and policy uncertainties, industry sources said. Read More
Petchem Consolidation, Rising Prices Curb Asia’s LPG Cracking: OPIS Poll
Asia’s flexible crackers are set to reduce LPG cracking volumes in February as petrochemical consolidation gathers pace in East Asia and LPG prices rise amid tight supply, according to the latest monthly OPIS cracking survey concluded on Jan. 8. Read More
Asia LPG Supply Tightens on Winter Restocking, Cargo Swaps: Sources
Asia’s LPG supply has tightened as importers ramp up buying for winter restocking and cargo swap activity, according to sources, with the market entering backwardation after several months in contango. Read More
Asia’s LPG Cracking to Rise on Lower Prices, Naphtha Supply Risks: OPIS Poll
Asia’s flexible crackers are set to increase LPG cracking volumes in December, driven by a decline in LPG prices and concerns over potential naphtha supply disruptions following U.S. sanctions on Russian oil majors, according to the latest monthly OPIS cracking survey. Read More
OPIS Global LPG: Energy Transfer Opens Fourth Dock at Nederland Terminal
Energy Transfer has announced to delegates at the 2025 OPIS Global LPG Conference in Houston that the fourth dock at its Nederland Terminal on the Texas Gulf Coast began operations on Friday, with all four docks now in use. Read More
OPIS Global LPG: Argentina’s TGS to Treble NGL Output with Vaca Muerta
Excelerate Energy and Transportadora de Gas del Sur (TGS) have announced plans to expand natural gas liquid (NGL) output by more than threefold from the Vaca Muerta project, with a final investment decision (FID) expected in the first quarter 2026, TGS NGL business manager Diego Freire told delegates at the OPIS LPG conference in Houston Friday. Read More
OPIS Global LPG: Mont Belvieu Role Strengthens as NGL Exports Surge
Houston - The U.S. natural gas liquids (NGLs) market has undergone a dramatic transformation since the start of the shale revolution, evolving from a largely domestic industry into the world's leading NGL export center. At the heart of this growth lies Mont Belvieu, Texas, the Gulf Coast hub that has become the epicenter of America's NGL infrastructure, trading, and connectivity. Read More
OPIS Global LPG: ACP Sets Out Timeline for Corridor Pipeline Project
The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) laid out its proposed timeline for its corridor program, targeting a start up of operations in 2030, ACP Chief Business Development Officer Rafael Pirro said at the OPIS LPG conference in Houston. Read More
Naphtha East-West Spread Widens on Fresh US Sanctions
The naphtha market has rallied with the regional east-west price gap widening to a three-year high, following U.S. sanctions on Russian oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil announced on Wednesday. Read More
Indian NOCs Seek Inaugural US Term LPG Using OPIS Mont Belvieu Price
State-run refiners Indian Oil Corp., Bharat Petroleum Corp. and Hindustan Petroleum Corp. have jointly issued the first-ever Indian term tender seeking U.S.-origin LPG cargoes using OPIS Mont Belvieu prices for 2026 delivery, according to a tender document dated Friday. Read More
China Approves Underground Propane Cavern in Ningbo as Bonded Warehouse
China has approved the 2 million cubic meter underground propane cavern operated by Ningbo Baidinian Liquefied Petroleum Gas, a subsidiary of Matheson Energy, as a bonded warehouse, according to a news article published on the Ningbo Customs website on Sept. 10. Read More
Asia’s LPG Cracking to Fall in October Amid Rising Prices: OPIS Poll
Asia’s flexible crackers are set to reduce LPG cracking volumes in October, as prices climb on stronger demand from Chinese importers following the U.S.-China tariff pause extension, the latest monthly OPIS cracking survey shows. Read More
US-China LPG Trade Flows to Recover in September: Sources
U.S.-origin LPG cargo flows into China are expected to recover next month amid easing uncertainties among Chinese buyers following the Aug. 11 announcement of a tariff truce extension, market sources said. Read More
Asia’s LPG Market Raises Concerns Over Methanol Content in Cargoes
LPG market participants in Asia are raising quality concerns over a growing number of propane cargoes with high levels of methanol—a contaminant which poses risks to operations in the propane dehydrogenation sector. Read More
Asia’s LPG Cracking to Rise in September Despite Trade Tensions: OPIS Poll
Asia’s flexible crackers are set to increase LPG cracking volumes in September, driven by lower prices and ample regional supply, despite renewed trade tensions sparked by new U.S. tariffs across multiple countries, according to the latest monthly OPIS cracking survey. Read More
Asia’s LPG Market Slows Further on Price Increase, Continued Uncertainty
Asia's LPG market activity has slowed even further this week, as non-Chinese importers retreat in response to rising prices and persistent uncertainty following the inconclusive U.S.-China trade talks in Stockholm, trade sources said. Read More
Naphtha Buyers in Asia Shun Russia-Linked Refiner Post-EU Sanctions
Naphtha buyers in Asia are shying away from a Russia-linked refinery’s cargoes following sanctions imposed by the European Union on Friday, while weak market fundamentals have also contributed to the buying apathy, sources said. Read More
Asia’s LPG Cracking to Fall in August on Higher Naphtha Demand: OPIS Poll
Asia’s flexible crackers are set to reduce LPG cracking in August as operators pivot toward naphtha as their primary feedstock and curb run rates, the latest monthly OPIS cracking survey concluded on Monday shows. Read More
Asia Sees Weak LPG Buying Demand Despite Price Drop
Competition from naphtha, tariff uncertainty and sluggish demand from major importing countries have contributed to weak buying interest in Asia's LPG market despite a sharp price drop following the Israel-Iran ceasefire, market sources said. Read More
Middle East Gulf LPG Exports Hit Quarterly Record High
Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) exports from the Middle East Gulf climbed to a record high in the second quarter of the year, exceeding the previous high by 12.9%, data from shipping analytics firm Vortexa showed. Read More
Enterprise Reveals Potential Easing of Curbs on Ethane Exports to China
New York-listed midstream major Enterprise Products Partners disclosed late Wednesday that Washington would allow it to load ethane cargoes destined for China at its Houston Ship Channel docks. But Enterprise or its cargo counterparties will not be able to discharge these shipments in China "without further authorization." Read More
China’s PDH Sector Faces Slow Recovery Amid Geopolitical, Trade Uncertainty
China’s propane dehydrogenation sector is expected to see a slow recovery amid geopolitical risks in the Middle East and lingering uncertainty from the ongoing U.S.-China trade war, LPG market analysts said. Read More
US Ethane Exports at Risk after Enterprise Reveals Cargo Denials
Ethane exports from the United States appear set to take a big hit because of a new licensing regime introduced by Washington to regulate shipments to China. Read More