Pembina LPG terminal expects first load this month

Pembina expects its 25,000 b/d Prince Rupert export terminal on Watson Island in British Columbia to begin operations later this month.

Vessel tracking from analytics firm Vortexa showed the Handysize carrier Pertusola moored near Prince Rupert on 7 April. Pembina said it will provide an update on the status of its terminal project, the second export terminal on Canada's west coast, once it is in service, but anticipates the arrival of the first ship this month.

The $250mn export terminal was originally slated to be in service in the first quarter of 2021, according to the Calgary-based company's most recent investor material. Last year Pembina deferred a planned expansion of the new facility.

Additional export capacity out of western Canada comes as AltaGas' 40,000 b/d refrigerated export facility, the Ridley Island propane export terminal, or Ripet, ramped up loadings to 50,600 b/d in December and January to meet strong demand for propane in Asia, particularly Japan.

Delays along the Panama Canal this winter bolstered delivered propane prices in Asia and led to greater demand for Canadian LPG, given the shorter, 10-day voyage versus the US Gulf coast. Approximately 70pc of Ripet's 2021 export volumes are hedged through either long-term tolling agreements or financial hedges relative to the Far East Index.

By Amy Strahan and Yulia Golub