Ineos, the company behind plans to build two very large ethane carriers (VLECs) in the Far East, is the largest chemicals group the man or woman in the street has never heard of.

In fact, it claims to be the world leader by sales, but is far from being a household name.

However, Ineos is big news in the maritime world for trying to ride the wave of new US ethane exports based on the shale gas boom.