Energy Data Reports: Sales of Liquefied Petroleum Gases and Ethane in 1977

摘要

Data are tabulated showing sales and end uses of LPG and ethane in the US. In 1977, total sales of liquefied petroleum gases and ethane in the United States amounted to 25.7 billion gallons, a decrease of 1.1% from the 1976 sales volume according to the Energy Information Administration, United States Department of Energy. Sales of liquefied petroleum gases and ethane for chemical use continued as the largest end use category amounting to 9.9 billion gallons in 1977, a 2.4% increase over the 1976 sales volume. This category accounted for 45.3% of total domestic sales excluding the quantity used in gasoline blending. Ethane, a major petrochemical feedstock, aggregated sales of 6.3 billion gallons accounting for 63.8% of total sales for chemical use. Sales in the residential and commercial sectors totaled 7.2 billion gallons in 1977, down 2.0% from the sales level in 1976. In 1977, industrial use sales including refinery fuel use amounted to 1.0 billion gallons compared with 1.1 billion gallons in 1976, a decrease of 0.8%. Liquefied petroleum gases used in gasoline blending totaled 3.6 billion gallons in 1977, a decrease of 10.6% from the record high of 4.0 billion gallons established in 1976. Internal combustion engine use and utility gas sales were 1.1 billion gallons and 0.6 billion gallons, respectively, in 1977. Internal combustion engine use was down 2.1% while utility gas increased 26.9%. The miscellaneous uses category, comprised mainly of sales for synthetic natural gas feedstock use and agricultural uses, totaled 2.0 billion gallons in 1977 compared with 1.9 billion gallons in 1976. Exports of liquefied petroleum gases in 1977 amounted to 0.3 billion gallons compared with 0.4 billion gallons in 1976. In this report, liquefied petroleum gases include propane, normal and other butanes, isobutane and butane-propane mixtures. Sources of these liquefied gases are natural gas processing plants, refineries and imports. (ERA citation 10:036115)