Energy Transfer LP expands ethane, liquid natural gas operations in China

Energy Transfer LP, a U.S. multifaceted public energy company, announced Monday that it will officially be expanding its company presence by opening an office in Beijing, China, to meet growing ethane and liquid natural gas demands there.

The Beijing office will be Energy Transfer’s first operation outside of the United States.

To date, the company owns and operates a massive, diversified assortment of energy interests in the United States. Its new foothold in China, therefore, will support marketing and sales of such products, including liquefied natural gas, ethane, propane, butane, natural gasoline and crude oil. Nor is there any indication they intend to stop with China, as a company statement indicates interests in exportation to various Asian markets as a means of supporting the company’s growth.

“This is an exciting milestone in the history of our Partnership,” Mackie McCrea, president and CEO of Energy Transfer, said. “The deep value that China’s people have for developing relationships based on mutual respect aligns with our core values. We see this office as the foundation for developing successful relationships that will be mutually beneficial for both the U.S. and the China energy markets.”

The decision to settle in Beijing builds on an international relationship begun a year ago, when Energy Transfer first announced a joint venture with China-based Satellite Petrochemical to begin ethane export operations. Likewise, Energy Transfer signed an agreement March 25 with Shell US LNG, LLC to develop a large-scale liquid natural gas export facility in Lake Charles, La., with the goal of expanding the current facility’s liquefaction capacity to 16.45 million tonnes per annum for export to customers in China and other global markets.