Making and Transporting Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)

LLiquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is made from a mixture of hydrocarbon gasses, mostly propane and butane. It is produced during the refining of crude oil, or extracted from oil or gas as they are pumped from the ground. It can also be made when LNG is cooled into a liquid. To keep LPG in a liquid state it must be cooled to minus 56°C and kept at this temperature on specially designed ships.
 
In Australia about ¾ of the total LPG produced, is from the oil and gas fields in Bass Strait, Cooper Basin in Central Australia, the North West Shelf, Kwinana in Western Australia and Surat Basin in Queensland.

The rest, is produced in the major oil refineries around Australia.

LPG is easily transported in small metal cylinders such as the ones used for BBQs. It can also be used as fuel for cars, buses, trucks and forklifts. LPG remains as a liquid because it is under pressure. When it escapes as a gas, it expands and becomes very cold.