JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia's exports of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) such as propane and butane rose 30 percent in February from a year earlier, while exports of petroleum products fell, official data showed. LPG exports increased to 166,786 metric tons from 128,827 tons last year, according to data posted Monday on the Saudi Port Authority's website. The Kingdom exported 39 percent more LPG from the previous month. Exports of all oil products, excluding crude, from Saudi ports fell 2.7 percent in February to 3.05 million metric tons from 3.14 million tons a year earlier. Meanwhile, April-loading fuel oil exports from Saudi Arabia currently stands at 350,000 tons, down from March's 705,000 tons, partly due to planned refinery turnarounds in the Kingdom, traders said Monday. ExxonMobil sold up to 90,000 tons of high-viscosity 700-centistoke (cst) fuel oil for April 26-28 loading from the joint-venture Samref refinery in Yanbu, to Thailand's PTT at a discount of around $16 a ton to Singapore spot quotes, on a free-on-board (FOB) basis, traders said. The oil major last sold a similar parcel, for April 12-14 lifting, to European trader Vitol at a discount of around $25.00-$27.00 a ton to Singapore spot quotes, FOB, down from around minus $17.00-$18.00 for an end-March lot previously. Joint-venture partner Saudi Aramco also sold 80,000 tons of its A961 180-cst grade, for April 8-10 lifting from its Ras Tanura plant, to Westport at a discount of around $2.00 a ton.
