Algeria's port of Arzew shipped the first commercial liquefied natural gas cargo in 1964.
The shipment marked the beginning of the modern international LNG trade. Natural gas from Algeria was cooled to about −162 °C, changing it into a liquid that occupied far less volume and could be loaded onto specialized carriers for transport by sea.
The cargo travelled from Algeria to the United Kingdom, demonstrating that gas could be moved internationally without a cross-border pipeline. This was especially important for supplying markets separated from producing fields by oceans or difficult terrain.
Arzew is sometimes confused with Skikda, another major Algerian LNG port. Skikda also became important to Algeria's gas-export industry, but Arzew is associated with the first commercial LNG shipment. LNG differs from liquefied petroleum gas: LNG is mostly methane, while LPG mainly contains propane and butane.