In June 2011 Shell announced to the world that they would build a “world-scale” ethane cracker plant in the northeast (see Shell Commits to Building a Billion Dollar Chemical Plant in the Marcellus Region of U.S.). After looking around and being heavily courted by West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, Shell finally chose a location northwest of Pittsburgh–in Beaver County, PA–in March 2012 (see Shell Announces Location of Ethane Cracker Plant). At the time a spokesperson said the final decision about whether or not to proceed was years away (see Shell’s Cracker Plant Actually “Years Away”?). She wasn’t kidding.
Fast forward two years later and it’s been a real roller coaster ride as to whether or not Shell would proceed–especially in light of recent comments by Shell’s retiring CEO Pete Voser that the company would not be able to build all three of its previously announced big projects, which includes the PA ethane cracker (see Rumor Mill: PA Ethane Cracker Plant on Shell Chopping Block?). But several recent things have happened to indicate the PA cracker plant project is alive and well, including the announcement yesterday that Shell has extended their option to purchase the proposed plant site in PA and intends to start demolishing existing buildings on the site in early 2014…
In June 2011 Shell announced to the world that they would build a “world-scale” ethane cracker plant in the northeast (see 