Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Saudi Aramco announced Wednesday the cancellation of scheduled propane and butane shipments from the Ju’aymah natural gas liquids (NGL) terminal in eastern Saudi Arabia. This follows structural damage sustained by a small section of the pipeline system earlier this week.
Details of the incident
The company statement explained that the incident occurred on February 23, and the emergency response plan was immediately activated, halting LPG exports from the terminal. Aramco confirmed that there were no leaks or injuries. It also clarified that LPG shipments from the west coast were unaffected.
The effect of the interruption
The cancellation of shipments is expected to impact the propane and butane markets, particularly given buyers’ reliance on long-term Saudi exports. Affected markets include Japan, Korea, China, and India. Ship-tracking data from Kpler shows that average monthly exports from the Ju’aymah terminal reached approximately 450,000 tons during 2024 and 2025. The data also indicates that at least 60% of these exports went to India and 15% to China.
Importance of the station
The Ju’aymah terminal is located near the Jafurah gas field and the Ras Tanura refinery. It is one of the world’s largest liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) export facilities and a vital strategic point for international propane and butane supplies.
