Sinopec Hainan refinery signed a term contract earlier this year to export LPG to Hong Kong from May 2011 to April 2012, according to a source with Sinopec Hong Kong.
Based on this contract, Hainan refinery will export altogether about 24,000mt of pressurized LPG to Hong Kong, about 2,000mt each month, said the source.
This was the first time for Hong Kong to import LPG from Hainan refinery after it toughened the standards for motor LPG in the wake of frequent glitches with taxies running on LPG at the end of 2009. The region suspended LPG imports from refineries after these quality problems occurred, which put a halt to imports from Taiwan and Hainan refinery.
LPG from Hainan refinery could enter Hong Kong again, as it was of good quality and low olefin content, meeting Hong Kong's standards for vehicle-consumed LPG, the source explained. This refinery's LPG was almost of the same specifications as resources from Saudi Arabia, he added.
Hainan refinery last exported LPG to Hong Kong in December 2009, with 12,190mt, showed the data from the General Administration of Customs. It exported about 36,000mt of LPG in 2009 and ranked the fifth among China's largest LPG exporters.
