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Propane Exports Case Study

Decent Essays

A July 5th Wall Street Journal article touts the increasing success and the upsurge of shale exports by the United States resulting in record volume of propane exports. The boom in exports has been aided by many factors such as; demand, lower shipping cost, expansion and increased supply.
What impact is the shale boom having on U.S. propane exports?
During the drilling of shale, oil producers have been provided an overwhelming supply of propane that at one point they had to pay customers to take off their hands. However, driven by a rise in foreign sales, the U.S. is exporting a record volume of propane. The shale boom, which hit an all-time high of 884,000 barrels a day in February, has made the United States a more dominant force in the global energy trade.
The shale boom made has thus increased the supply of propane and driven the growth of foreign …show more content…

The recent completion of a 5.4-billion-dollar expansion of the Panama Canal has enabled larger shipping boats to access ports. Therefore, the movement of the gas has become faster and cheaper in their deliver to the large markets of Japan, China and South Korea.
What are the destinations of U.S. propane exports?
“In 2013, the U.S. overtook Qatar as the world's top propane shipper” (Dezember, 2016). Foreign markets are the major driving forces responsible for the increasing demand. About half of all U.S. exports wind up in Latin America, while the rest of US exports are shipping to northwest Europe and Asian markets. JBC Energy estimates the deficit between what Asia can supply and demand for liquefied petroleum gas will rise to a record of 1.42 million barrels per day in 2016, surpassing last year's 1.3 million barrels per day.
How would the U.S.'s dominant position on propane exports benefit further from the expansion of the Panama

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