BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 11. The U.S. is exporting record volumes of normal butane in 2024, with exports averaging nearly 500,000 barrels per day (b/d), marking a 12% increase from the previous year, Trend reports.
This surge is driven by rising global demand for liquefied petroleum gases (LPG), a byproduct of natural gas processing and crude oil refining.
Butane, commonly used as a fuel for cooking, gasoline blending, and as a base chemical in rubbers and plastics, is similar to propane. With the U.S. being the world’s largest butane exporter, most of its shipments go to Asia and Africa. In 2024, 41% of U.S. butane exports went to Asia, with top importers including Indonesia, Japan, and South Korea, while Morocco and Egypt led African imports.
The rise in U.S. butane exports is also linked to increasing production from natural gas-rich regions such as the Eagle Ford in Texas. The U.S. has benefited from lower butane prices compared to global benchmarks, which has boosted demand, especially in developing markets that use butane as a cleaner fuel for cooking and heating.