U.S. ethane production and exports rose a record in 2024

The U.S. produced 2.8 mb/d of ethane in 2024, up 1.0 mb/d or 55% since 2019. This is faster growth than U.S. crude oil production, which increased by 0.9 mb/d over the same period. Around 80% of U.S. produced ethane is used domestically and ~20% is exported. The U.S. is the only major waterborne exporter of ethane in the world. Ethane is a petrochemical feedstock used primarily for plastics manufacturing. Over the past year, nearly half of U.S. ethane exports went to China and 19% to the EU and UK.