Three African states to get Iranian LPG
The Islamic Republic of Iran has commenced exports of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to three African countries.
Esmaeel Hasham Firouz, the export-import director of the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company (NIOPDC), has told Mehr news agency that Iran has begun to ship excess natural gas supplies as LPG to Kenya, South Africa and Tanzania.
He said the shipments are done using special containers.
The official added that last year Iran exported over 127,000 tons of LPG and that the figure would rise this year.
Hasham Firouz said currently Pakistan and Afghanistan are the main clients of Iranian LPG.
In recent years, Iran has been trying to have a larger share of the global LPG market.
LPG includes widely used butane and propane along with propylene and butene also known as butylene. Butane and propane are used for heating and cooking. Propane has also petrochemical and agricultural use.
Mohammad Souri, Iran's deputy petroleum minister for strategic affairs, said last June that Iran is hoping to ramp up its sales of LPG after doubling the country’s fleet of carriers for shipment of the fuel to the international market.
Fifteen carriers purchased in the past couple of years have now joined the fleet and are geared up for taking LPG cargoes to their clients.
“The arrival of this number of ships has substantially increased the LPG shipment capacity and reduced export and maritime transportation constraints to a minimum,” he said.
The addition of new LPG vessels dispenses Iran with the need to rely on foreign companies for shipments. Those firms took cargoes at LPG terminals in Iran and transported them by ship to customers.
The country exported four million metric tons of LPG worth about $4 billion a year, mostly to South Korea and Europe. Japanese companies provided insurance coverage for the shipments.
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