The history of LPG can be traced back to the beginning of the 20th Century. In the early production of gasoline, one problem faced was that gasoline quickly evaporated when in storage.  In 1911, an American chemist, Dr. Walter Snelling, identified that the propane and butane within the gasoline caused its evaporation. He soon developed a practical method of removing these gases from the gasoline. During the 1920s and 1930s there was huge growth in the number of applications using LPG from automotive to cooking fuel.

LPG is colourless and odourless and a strong "stenching" agent is added so that even a very small leak can be easily detected. LPG is made up of propane and butane and at normal temperature LPG is a gas. When subjected to modest pressure or cooling, it transforms into a liquid. As a liquid, it is easy to transport and store. Once it has been cooled or pressurized, LPG is usually stored in containers made of either steel or aluminium.