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Ethane and CO₂ shipping

Technical Review

1 March 2017

Transport

Michael Moore

Citation: IEAGHG, "Ethane and CO₂ shipping", 2017-TR1, March 2017.

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Publication Overview

The study is a first stage assessment of a novel concept of transporting ethane from the USA in dedicated maritime carriers to Europe, which are modified from standard designs to be equipped to carry both ethane and CO2, so that CO2 can be transported back (back hauled) to the USA for use in CO₂-EOR operations.

Publication Summary

The report considers a conceptual idea for transporting CO2 to the USA in modified ethane carriers. The main conclusion that can be drawn are:

  1. Whilst ethane is being exported to Europe now the same ships are unlikely to be converted to carrier LCO2 as well. New ships would need to be built to meet any market demand to back haul CO2 to the USA.
  2. Whilst there is a potential near term demand for CO2 for EOR in the USA (if oil process recover to $100/barrel), there is unlikely to be large quantities of transportable CO2 from Europe in the foreseeable future.

In summary, this is an interesting concept and one that should not be dismissed out of hand. But all the pieces of the jigsaw do not slot into place at the current time and may not conceivably do so in the next 5-10 years.

It is also noted that LPG and ethane trades to the Far East from the US Gulf Coast are also now starting and there may be similar considerations on those routes for future investigations of this type.

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