LPG Tankers Seen by Clarkson Gaining on U.S. Shale Boom

Tankers hauling liquefied petroleum gas will gain as shale oil and gas production boosts U.S. exports and fleet growth slows, according to Clarkson Capital Markets, a unit of the world’s largest shipbroker.

Global demand will rise 5 percent a year through 2016 while the fully refrigerated fleet expands 4.5 percent annually in the next two years, with few ships ordered afterward, Urs Dur, a New York-based analyst at Clarkson, said in an e-mailed report today. U.S. export capacity will rise to 12 million metric tons in 2015 from 5 million tons now, requiring more vessels, he said.

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