2010 is shaping up to be an exciting year for the LPG business, judging by recent industry headlines:

“Qatar will produce 12.6 million tonnes per year (tpy) of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) by 2012, up from 8.2 million tpy now, making it one of the biggest LPG producers in the Middle East, the CEO of Qatar International Petroleum Marketing Co, also known as Tasweeq, said on Wednesday.” ~Reuters, 5 May

“JS Private Equity Fund has expressed intention to acquire 15.374 million shares, representing 67.91 per cent of the issued share capital of Shell Gas LPG (Pakistan) Limited, according to a notice sent to the Karachi Stock Exchange on Tuesday.” ~ Pakistan Tribune, 5 May

“Worldwide trade in LPG will increase over the near term with a growing surplus in markets east of the Suez Canal pushing more LPG into western markets. In the West, more LPG will become petrochemical feedstock in that price-sensitive market…Overall, worldwide LPG growth through 2013 will average about 3.5%/year.” ~ Oil & Gas Journal, March 2010

As the world moves out of recession, the markets to watch will still be in the Middle East where rapid petrochemical expansions and growing domestic/commercial use are creating strong demand.

But will demand be sufficient to absorb supply? Supply growth among Middle Eastern producers is also expected to especially strong, specifically in Iran, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi, increasing by about 14 million tonnes by 2013 according to Purvin & Gertz’ latest estimates.

The best place to make sense of the LPG markets for 2010 and beyond is at the 5th LPGtrade Summit, meeting in Abu Dhabi from 25-27 October this year. Participants can look forward to high-level discussions on latest trends shaping the LPG business, including LPG capacity additions in the UAE & other Middle East states, as well as the demand revival in key regional LPG markets.

5th LPGtrade Summit is part of the annual LPG conference that meets around the world to offer market updates, and networking opportunities. Last year’s headline making conference saw participation from over 350 of the most influential LPG executives from over 31 countries!

Watch out for our updates on 5th LPGtrade Summit, which will be coming soon!

In the mean time, mark the dates 25-27 October in your calendars, and send in your pre-registrations for 5th LPGtrade Summit to Ms. Nadia Albahar at nadia@cmtsp.com.sg.

Post to Twitter