Dominion to Build Large Natural Gas Processing Plant on the Ohio River in Natrium, WV

Dominion, one of the country’s largest producers and transporters of energy, has just announced they will build a large natural gas processing and fractionation plant along the Ohio River in Natrium, W.Va. to process shale gas from the Marcellus and Utica Shale regions. The plant’s first phase of construction will be completed by the end of next year. The new facility will provide construction jobs initially, and when completed, 40-50 permanent jobs. Dominion reports they have already pre-sold 90 percent of the first phase’s processing capacity of 200 Mmcf (million cubic feet) of natural gas per day and fractionation of 36,000 barrels of gas liquids per day. Dominion’s largest customer for the first phase is Chesapeake Energy, reserving 100 Mmcf of processing capacity.

A natural gas processing facility removes all of the various hydrocarbons and fluids from “raw” natural gas (as it comes from the well bore) to produce what is known as ‘pipeline quality’ dry natural gas. Natural gas liquids (NGLs) are valuable by-products of natural gas processing and can include ethane, propane, butane, iso-butane, and gasoline. Dominion will sell natural gas and gas liquids from the facility via truck, railroad, pipeline and barge.

UPDATE (Aug 8): Dominion will invest $500 million to build its new natural gas processing plant in Natrium, WV (see this article).

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