Ethane is expected to be the most widely consumed petroleum product in the United States in 2023, and it is already outpacing jet fuel and propane, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Ethane demand has grown every year since 2010 in the United States, EIA said, including a 50,000 b/d year/year increase in 2021. EIA forecasts U.S. consumption to grow by another 340,000 b/d by 2023 to average around 2.1 million b/d.

“Annual U.S. ethane consumption has increased in every year since 2010 because demand for ethane as a petrochemical feedstock has grown,” EIA researchers led by Josh Eiermann said. They noted that ethane mainly serves as a petrochemical feedstock to produce ethylene, which is used to manufacture plastics and resins.

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