- US East Coast LPG terminals are limited to two dedicated marine export facilities: Marcus Hook in Pennsylvania and Repauno/Gibbstown in New Jersey.
- Marcus Hook, operated by Energy Transfer, has roughly 260,000 barrels per day of LPG export capacity and around 6 million barrels of combined cavern and tank storage.
- Repauno, run by Delaware River Partners (a New Fortress Energy affiliate), operates as a rail-to-ship transloading hub rather than a pipeline-fed terminal.
- Both sites sit on the Delaware River and draw propane and butane from the Marcellus and Utica shale basins via the Mariner East pipeline system.
- The region’s main commercial advantage is shipping distance to Europe and North Africa, avoiding Panama and Suez canal transit fees and delays.
Two facilities handle nearly all seaborne volume from US East Coast LPG terminals, a stark contrast to the dozen-plus marine terminals clustered along the Gulf Coast. Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania and Repauno, New Jersey sit directly across the Delaware River from each other, and together they define the region’s export capacity.
US East Coast LPG Terminals: Marcus Hook and Repauno
Marcus Hook Terminal is the dominant asset among US East Coast LPG terminals. Operated by Energy Transfer, it loads Very Large Gas Carriers (VLGCs) with roughly 260,000 barrels per day of propane and butane, backed by approximately 2 million barrels of underground cavern storage and 4 million barrels of above-ground tank capacity. The site receives chilled, pressurized product via the Mariner East pipeline network before processing it for export, primarily to European buyers.
Repauno Port / Gibbstown Logistics Center functions differently. Rather than pipeline-fed, it’s a deepwater seaport built for transloading LPG directly from rail tank cars onto marine vessels. It gives Appalachian shippers a route to international waters that doesn’t depend on pipeline capacity out of the basin.
Repauno is operated by Delaware River Partners, an affiliate of New Fortress Energy. The parent company’s broader midstream and LNG infrastructure strategy has made rail-to-marine transloading a repeatable model it has since applied at other sites, rather than a one-off project unique to the Delaware River.
Feeding the Terminals: Pipelines, Rail and Inland Storage
The Mariner East pipeline system is the backbone connecting western Pennsylvania and Ohio shale production to the Marcus Hook docks. Without it, the terminal’s export volumes would be a fraction of current levels. Upstream of the pipeline, MarkWest (MPLX) operates fractionation and storage infrastructure in Pennsylvania that acts as a collection point before product moves east.
A secondary network of inland storage and rail hubs supports regional distribution rather than export directly. Crestwood’s Selkirk terminal in New York, Sea-3’s facilities serving New England, and a rail-fed terminal in Baltimore all move propane to domestic heating and industrial markets, separate from the marine export volumes at Marcus Hook and Repauno.
Why US East Coast LPG Terminals Still Matter Against the Gulf Coast
The US Gulf Coast handles the overwhelming majority of national LPG export volumes, and Enterprise Products, Energy Transfer’s Nederland terminal and Targa’s facilities on the Gulf continue to add capacity. US East Coast LPG terminals compete on a narrower but genuine advantage: geography. Shipping from the Delaware River to European and North African buyers cuts voyage time relative to Gulf Coast departures, and it bypasses Panama and Suez canal congestion, transit delays and auction-driven fees entirely.
That advantage has kept Marcus Hook and Repauno relevant even as Gulf Coast capacity expands. The Marcellus and Utica basins sit closer to the Delaware River than to Houston or Corpus Christi, and for shippers targeting Northwest Europe specifically, the East Coast route remains the shorter one. According to the US Energy Information Administration’s PADD region data, East Coast (PADD 1) infrastructure is tracked separately from Gulf Coast volumes precisely because the two regions serve different trade flows rather than competing directly for the same cargoes.
What’s Next for US East Coast LPG Terminals
No new dedicated marine LPG terminal is currently under construction on the East Coast, and expansion announcements continue to concentrate on the Gulf Coast instead. Argus Media reported that new Gulf Coast LPG capacity is set to push total US export capacity beyond 3 million barrels per day, further widening the gap with the roughly 260,000 b/d of dedicated marine capacity at Marcus Hook. Barring a new project announcement, US East Coast LPG terminals are likely to stay limited to Marcus Hook and Repauno through the rest of 2026.
How many LPG export terminals are there on the US East Coast?
Two dedicated marine export terminals operate on the US East Coast: Marcus Hook in Pennsylvania and Repauno/Gibbstown in New Jersey, both on the Delaware River.
Who operates Marcus Hook LPG terminal?
Marcus Hook is operated by Energy Transfer. It has roughly 260,000 barrels per day of LPG export capacity, fed by the Mariner East pipeline system from Marcellus and Utica shale production.
What makes Repauno different from Marcus Hook?
Repauno is a rail-to-ship transloading facility rather than a pipeline-fed terminal. Operated by Delaware River Partners, a New Fortress Energy affiliate, it moves LPG from rail tank cars directly onto marine vessels.
Why does the US East Coast still export LPG when the Gulf Coast has far more capacity?
East Coast terminals offer shorter shipping distances to European and North African buyers and avoid Panama and Suez canal congestion, transit delays and fees that Gulf Coast cargoes face.
Is any new LPG terminal capacity planned for the US East Coast?
No dedicated marine LPG terminal is currently under construction on the East Coast as of 2026. New capacity announcements continue to concentrate on the Gulf Coast.