<p>U.S. propane production from natural gas processing has doubled over the past five years, but domestic demand has hardly moved the needle. So the only way the propane market has balanced is through exports, and it is no overstatement to say that the ship has really come in for U.S.</p>
The 51-mile long Panama Canal completed in 1914 connects the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean. By passing through the Canal ships reduce voyage distances by thousands of miles and journey times by 10 days or more. The Canal is currently constrained by the dimensions of its lock system that limit the size of vessel that can pass through. An expansion project started in 2006 and set to complete in early 2015 will increase the dimensions so that larger ships can use the canal. Today we assess the consequences for tanker movements.
