LPG shipments scheduled to be lifted from Iran in April rose further to around 500,000 mt, 

almost  matching  January  shipments  of 520,000 mt which was the highest volume since 

Western  sanctions  against the Middle Eastern producer were removed in January 2016, 

shipping sources said. 

The April shipments were almost up 14% from March and will bring the total shipments so 

far this year to 1.86 million mt. 

Most of the April cargoes are again bound for China, followed by Indonesia, India, Thailand 

and possibly Kenya, according to shipping sources and cFlow, S&P Global Platts trade flow 

software. 

Oriental Energy, which operates propane dehydrogenation plants in China, has lifted a carg

o comprising 34,000 mt of propane and 14,000 mt butane aboard the VLGC Gas Aquarius at 

Assaluyeh from Iranian Gas Commercial Co. The vessel is due to arrive at Qinzhou April 25, 

cFlow showed. 

OE, which loads its cargoes via a trading entity called Pacific Petrochemical, has also lifted a 

cargo comprising 33,000 mt propane and 11,000 mt butane from Persian Gulf Petrochemical 

Industry  Commercial  Co.  at  Bandar  Imam Khomeini aboard the Pacific Yantai. The vessel, 

which is now in the Gulf Of Oman, is due to arrive in Ningbo May 12, cFlow showed. 

OE,  also  an  LPG  trader  and  distributor, early this month sealed an agreement with Hong 

Kong-based energy trader Kunlun Holding to set up a pool of VLGCs, which is expected to b

e completed by end May, as well as to cooperate in boosting LPG trade. 

Under the deal, OE will manage Kunlun's LPG storage facilities and buy 2.5 million mt/year of 

LPG from Kunlun between now until 2020. 

Under  a  related pact, Oriental Petroleum -- the controlling shareholder of OE -- will transfer 

its  lease  for  eight  VLGC  newbuildings  to  Kunlun Shipping,  a unit of Kunlun Holding, the 

company had said.