Recent insights from HydroCarbon Information Services (HydroCIS) indicate that Nigeria’s liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) transport achieved peak levels in 2020, 2021, and 2023, based on data analysis.
Over the past five years, the country’s cooking gas market has heavily relied on Gas Carriers (GC), Medium Gas Carriers (MGC), and Large Gas Carriers (LGC) for the transportation of LPG cargoes.
The vessels, categorized by their cargo capacities, reached peak transport levels at 239 kt in 2020, 787 kt in 2021, and 114 kt in 2023. HydroCIS classifies vessels in the cooking gas market based on cargo capacities, including Shuttle, Gas Carrier, Medium Gas Carrier, Large Gas Carrier, and Very Large Gas Carrier.
Interestingly, the Medium Gas Carrier, despite handling the highest cargo volume, has experienced a decline in delivery volumes by 28%, 29%, and 22% in 2022, 2021, and 2020, respectively.
Conversely, Gas Carrier and Large Gas Carrier distribution volumes have seen significant growth, with an 81% increase for Gas Carriers and an impressive 500% increase for Large Gas Carriers during the same period.
HydroCIS cites specific LPG vessels in these categories, such as Amaury Neyrand, Claude, Francois, MT Louis for Gas Carriers (GC); Alfred Termile, Navigator Capricorn for Medium Gas Carriers (MGC); and Aquarama, Verrazane, Surville, Sahara Gas for Large Gas Carriers (LGC).
As the country approaches the Christmas season, cooking gas prices are on the rise, attributed to the reliance on a significant number of imports. The federal government, recognizing the economic burden on Nigerians, has announced plans to intervene in cooking gas prices. The Minister for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, has urged operators like Chevron to increase cooking gas supply during the Christmas period to alleviate the price surge.
