In the wake of signing supply agreements for lifting ethane from its Marcus Hook facility for transfer to its cracker in Rafnes / Norway (see Plasteurope.com of 28.09.2012), Ineos (Rolle / Switzerland; www.ineos.com) now says it has signed a long-term, 15-year shipping agreement with Evergas (Copenhagen / Denmark; www.evergas.net) to transport the gas from the US to Norway. The Danish company has already signed a building contract with Sinopacific Offshore and Engineering (Shanghai / China; www.sinopacificoffshore.com) for the construction of medium-sized LNG carriers capable of shipping 27,500 m³, and due for completion in 2015.

“These shipping agreements are the final piece of the Mariner East project, allowing Ineos to import competitively priced ethane to our Rafnes cracker from the US,” said Ineos Olefins & Polymers North procurement and supply chain director David Thompson. In preparation of the ethane volumes due to arrive in Rafnes in 2015, Ineos in December 2012 began construction of a tank at the site – see Plasteurope.com of 06.12.2012.