Thorleif Thorleifsson

Different types and sizes of Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carriers

LPG is Liquid petroleum gas and prepared by refining petroleum or "wet" natural gas, and is almost entirely derived from fossil fuel sources, being manufactured during the refining of petroleum (crude oil), or extracted from petroleum or natural gas streams as they emerge from the ground.

Large exporters of LPG gasses are; Saudi Arabia, Qatar, US and Algeria.

The LPG gasses are used for energy, as petrochemical feedstock and in the agriculture industry.

LPG vessels are divided into: 

  • Fully pressurized ships
  • Semi-refrigerated ships
  • Fully refrigerated LPG

Ethylene ships (semi refrigerated ships able to transport cargoes at -104 °C.

LPG Carriers

The most commonly used sub-segments for the LPG carriers:

Handy Gas Carriers: LPG vessels of about 15 –25,000 cbm. A diverse segment which includes semi-refrigerated, fully-refrigerated and some larger, pressurised ships that carry a wide range of cargoes such as ethylene, petrochemicals, LPG and ammonia on short to medium-haul routes.

The LPG vessels below 15 000 cbm are often referred to as coasters.

Mid-Sizes: LPG vessels of about 25,000–50,000 cbm, typically fully- refrigerated, carrying ammonia or LPG, on intra-regional routes (e.g. within the Americas or Asia) and medium-haul cross-trades (e.g. in the North Sea and Europe).

LGC: LPG vessels of about 50,000–70,000 cbm, mainly carrying LPG and ammonia between ports limitING the VLGC ships to enter.

Very Large Gas Carriers (VLGC): LPG vessels of about 70,000 cbm or above. Many of these vessels are fully-refrigerated and mainly employed on long-haul trade routes, e.g. from Middle East Gulf (MEG) and the United States to Asia.

In Maritime Optima we have used the cubic capacities of the vessels tanks, to divide the vessels into sub segments.

In the map you can view where all the LPG vessels are trading:

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