Decades ago, natural gas liquids were an extraneous byproduct of U.S. refining operations. Since the shale revolution of the 2010s, however, gas and oil—and, in turn, NGL—production has become so prolific that waterborne exports are now a crucial relief valve to prevent an onshore supply glut.

Energy Information Administration data shows that exports of propane, butane (collectively known as liquefied petroleum gas, or LPG), and ethane hit all-time highs in 2024.

EIA’s latest Petroleum Supply Monthly, with data through December 2024, showed propane exports topped out at 2.011 million b/d in November 2024, with the full year averaging approximately 1.8 million b/d— almost three times higher a decade ago.

Normal butane exports have grown to 491,000 b/d in 2024, with a monthly peak of 575,000 b/d in August 2024, from 97,000 b/d on average in 2015.

The most pronounced uplift over the decade, however, has been ethane. In 2024, ethane exports averaged 492,000 b/d, compared with 65,000 b/d in 2015. The highest monthly average stood at 591,000 b/d in Dec. 2024—a nearly forty-fold jump from its lowest levels on EIA record at 15,000 b/d in Jan. 2014. And the pace of U.S. export growth shows no signs of slowing.

EIA forecasts net exports of propane and propylene (offset by imports from Canada and elsewhere) could average 1.83 million b/d in 2026, up 10.2% from 1.66 million b/d in 2024, while butane and butylene could see an almost 34% jump to 590,000 b/d from 440,000 b/d over the same period. The agency predicts net exports of ethane to rise to 630,000 b/d by 2026 — 28.6% higher than 2024 average levels of 490,000 b/d.

To accommodate this anticipated growth, a number of major expansion projects are in the works, though specific impacts to LPG and ethane are difficult to quantify. Some terminal operators don’t list capacities for individual commodities, while other expansions are for flex units that can produce different commodities, based on market demand.

Energy Transfer

Energy Transfer is expanding its NGL export terminal in Nederland, Texas, with the 250,000 b/d Flexport project scheduled to start limited service in mid-2025 and reach full capacity in the third quarter of 2025. The expansion would add capacity to load LPG, ethane and ethylene, with exact breakdowns to be worked out in negotiations with customers.

Nederland’s current NGL export capacity is 700,000 b/d.

It is also considering optimization upgrades at its 400,000 b/d Marcus Hook NGL export terminal in Pennsylvania.

Enterprise Products Partners

Enterprise is adding 300,000 b/d of dedicated LPG export capacity at its Enterprise Hydrocarbons Terminal along the Houston Ship Channel. The expansion, set to come online in late 2026, would increase the dedicated LPG capacity at EHT by 36% to 1.135 million b/d.

Enterprise also owns the Morgan’s Point export terminal along the Houston Ship Channel, with dedicated ethane capacity of 120,000 b/d, dedicated ethylene capacity of 60,000 b/d, and a flex unit that could produce up to 120,000 b/d of ethane or ethylene, or a combination of the two at smaller amounts.

Further, Enterprise is building the Neches River export terminal near Beaumont, Texas, with a flex capacity to export up to 360,000 b/d of propane, up to 180,000 b/d of ethane, or a combination of the two at lower amounts. It is also constructing a dedicated 120,000 b/d ethane train. The flex unit is scheduled to come online in the first half of 2026 and the ethane train by the third quarter of 2025.

Enterprise’s long-term goal for the flex trains at Neches River and Morgan’s Point to primarily process ethane, as it is fully contracted for ethane capacity of 540,000 b/d and expects to increase its ethane export capacity to at least 600,000 b/d with debottlenecking.

Targa Resources

Targa plans to increase LPG export capacity at its Galena Park Marine Terminal from 444,000 b/d to about 625,000 b/d by the third quarter of 2027. The expansions include debottlenecking, adding 21,400 b/d of capacity by the fourth quarter of 2025, and an expansion that would send out 131,500 b/d of capacity by the third quarter of 2027.

Oneok and MPLX

Newcomers to the export arena, the companies plan to build a 400,000 b/d LPG export terminal in Texas City, Texas, and a 24-inch-diameter pipeline to link it to Oneok’s storage facility in Mont Belvieu, Texas. The terminal, scheduled to be completed in early 2028, would primarily transport low-ethane propane and normal butane.

Other U.S. Facilities

Phillips 66 currently sends out 260,000 b/d of LPG through its Freeport facility in Texas and also has capacity to export natural gasoline produced from its Sweeny refinery. Though no expansion projects are on the books, it has acquired numerous NGL assets over the years. Most recently, it entered into an agreement in January to buy EPIC Y-Grade GP LLC and EPC Y-Grade LP, which have NGL assets in the Permian Basin and on the Texas Gulf Coast.

Domestic producer Range Resources has secured 20,000 b/d of NGL takeaway and export capacity at the Repauno export facility in Gibbstown, N.J. The new capacity would come online by 2026. The facility in 2024 exported about 2 million bbl of LPG, according to data from data analytics firm Vortexa.

AltaGas owns an LPG facility on the U.S. West Coast in Ferndale, Washington, with a design capacity to send out 70,000 b/d of LPG.

From Mont Belvieu to the World: Navigate Global LPG Markets with Greater Transparency

As LPG exports from the U.S. Gulf Coast surge, the OPIS Global LPG & Naphtha Report provides the transparency you need to navigate evolving markets. Powered by the OPIS Mont Belvieu benchmark, this report integrates freight intelligence and delivery costs to key ports worldwide—helping you make informed decisions with confidence.

Review this report for free to explore our unique market coverage.