Shell

Beaver County | Energy Companies | Ethane | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Processing Plants | Shell

Shell Asks Court to Toss Big Green Cracker Suit: DEP Already Acted
October 14, 2026October 14, 2026

Shell Chemical Appalachia wants a federal judge in Pittsburgh to throw out a lawsuit Philadelphia-based Big Green group Clean Air Council filed more than three years ago over air emissions at Shell’s ethane cracker plant in Monaca (Beaver County), PA. Shell’s main argument is simple: the PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has already gone after Shell for the very same violations, not once but twice, collecting nearly $25 million in penalties and “community” payments. Federal law, says Shell, doesn’t let a private group pile on when the state is already on the case. Shell also argues the Council never showed that a single member was actually harmed. Shell filed its motion last Friday, Oct. 9, and the Council has agreed to pause the case while the judge decides. Read More “Shell Asks Court to Toss Big Green Cracker Suit: DEP Already Acted”
Air Quality | Beaver County | Energy Companies | Ethane | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Processing Plants | Regulation | Shell

DEP Approves New Shell Cracker Air Permit, NOx Limit Goes Up
September 28, 2026September 28, 2026

Back in April, we told you the PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) had once again extended the three “temporary” air permits for Shell’s ethane cracker plant in Monaca (Beaver County) while the agency slogs through Shell’s full Title V permit application (see PA Extends Temporary Shell Cracker Air Quality Permits Until Oct.). At the end of that post, we mentioned a separate permit pending before DEP, one covering flares, the wastewater treatment plant, and “as-built” pollution controls. The public comment period on it had just closed. On Sept. 22, DEP issued that permit, formally called Plan Approval No. 04-00740D. And yes, it raises Shell’s allowed emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and several other pollutants. Cue the outrage from the usual suspects. Read More “DEP Approves New Shell Cracker Air Permit, NOx Limit Goes Up”
Accidents | Beaver County | Energy Companies | Ethane | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Processing Plants | Shell

Shell Cracker Blast: 6 Minutes from Wrong Click to $95M Explosion
September 22, 2026September 22, 2026

The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) last Wednesday, Sept. 16, released its final report on the June 4, 2025, explosion and fire at Shell Polymers Monaca, the ethane cracker plant in Beaver County, PA (see PA DEP Says Shell Ethane Plant Fire May Have Released Carcinogens). The finding, boiled down to one sentence: an engineer who had never done the job before opened the wrong valve on a computer screen where three nearly identical valves were stacked on top of each other, and six minutes later Furnace 5 blew apart. Damage: $95 million. Injuries: none. OSHA’s fine: $26,480. Read More “Shell Cracker Blast: 6 Minutes from Wrong Click to $95M Explosion”
Electrical Generation | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Luzerne County | M&A | Pennsylvania | Shell

Shell Sells R.I. Gas Plant for $715M, Buys Marcellus Plant in NEPA
September 11, 2026September 11, 2026

Round and round she goes. Yesterday Shell Energy North America (SENA) announced it is doing two deals at once: selling the 609-megawatt (MW) Rhode Island State Energy Center (RISEC) near Providence to Constellation Energy for $715 million, and buying the 169-MW Hunlock Creek Energy Center in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, from Castleton Commodities International (CCI). Shell has owned the Rhode Island plant for all of about 20 months. CCI has owned Hunlock Creek for two years. Both deals are expected to close in the first quarter of 2027, pending the usual regulatory blessings. Read More “Shell Sells R.I. Gas Plant for $715M, Buys Marcellus Plant in NEPA”
Beaver County | Energy Companies | Ethane | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Shell

PA DEP Shakes Down Shell Another $15M for Cracker Violations
September 8, 2026September 8, 2026

Shell Chemical Appalachia signed a consent order and agreement (COA) with the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) last Friday, Sept. 4, agreeing to hand over $15 million to settle three years’ worth of air, storage tank, and water violations at its Monaca (Beaver County) ethane cracker. Half of it — $7.5 million — is an actual civil penalty. The other half is a “contribution” to a brand-new community fund. If that arrangement sounds familiar, it should. It’s the same two-bucket structure the Shapiro administration used to squeeze nearly $10 million out of Shell back in May 2023. Read More “PA DEP Shakes Down Shell Another $15M for Cracker Violations”
Beaver County | Energy Companies | Ethane | Industrywide Issues | M&A | Pennsylvania | Processing Plants | Shell

Four Bidders Circle Shell’s Monaca, PA Ethane Cracker Plant
August 25, 2026August 25, 2026

For a year and a half, MDN has tracked the on-again, on-again saga of Shell trying to unload its chemicals business — including the $14 billion Monaca (Beaver County, PA) ethane cracker complex that turns Marcellus/Utica ethane into plastic pellets. We first flagged the rumor in March 2025 (see Shocker: Shell Considers Selling Beaver County, PA Ethane Cracker). CEO Wael Sawan confirmed it that August, saying Shell is “not the natural operator and owner of that asset.” As recently as May, Sawan was still saying “maybe.” Now we finally have names. Read More “Four Bidders Circle Shell’s Monaca, PA Ethane Cracker Plant”
CNG/LNG | Energy Companies | Exporting | Industrywide Issues | Research | Shell

Shell Annual LNG Outlook Predicts Demand to Soar 65% by 2050
July 7, 2026July 7, 2026

Shell, which dropped “Royal Dutch” from its name after leaving the Netherlands in 2022 due to high taxes and overregulation, is one of the world’s supermajors (oil and gas driller). Shell is also one of (perhaps THE) largest producers and vendors of LNG, or liquefied natural gas, worldwide. The company has just released its tenth annual LNG Outlook 2026 (full copy below), which highlights key trends in 2025 and hauls out the crystal ball to predict where things are heading over the next 25 years. Shell’s annual LNG outlook says shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz from the Iran war—which shut in roughly one-fifth of global monthly LNG supply—could keep 2026 global LNG trade flat if flows normalize within three months, with growth resuming in 2027. Read More “Shell Annual LNG Outlook Predicts Demand to Soar 65% by 2050”
Beaver County | Energy Companies | Ethane | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Processing Plants | Shell

Shell Still Pondering Sale of Chemicals Div., Including PA Cracker
May 11, 2026May 11, 2026

In March 2025, the Wall Street Journal reported that Shell is “exploring a potential sale of its chemicals assets in Europe and the U.S.,” which includes the Monaca (Beaver County, PA) ethane cracker complex (see Shocker: Shell Considers Selling Beaver County, PA Ethane Cracker). In August 2025, during a quarterly earnings call with analysts, Shell CEO Wael Sawan confirmed the rumor, saying Shell is “not the natural operator and owner of that asset” referring to the Monaca cracker plant (see Shell Looks to Sell All or Part of Monaca, PA Ethane Cracker Plant). Last Thursday, during Shell’s latest quarterly update, Sawan once again reiterated the desire to sell the company’s chemicals division, including the PA cracker, but only if it creates “shareholder value.” Read More “Shell Still Pondering Sale of Chemicals Div., Including PA Cracker”
Energy Companies | Ethane | Industrywide Issues | Processing Plants | Regulation | Shell

PA Extends Temporary Shell Cracker Air Quality Permits Until Oct.
April 27, 2026April 27, 2026

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has extended three temporary air permits for the Shell ethane cracker plant in Monaca, PA, which would have expired on April 28, 2026. The DEP did the same thing in May 2024 (see Shell Cracker Air Quality Permits from PA DEP Temporarily Extended). The extended permits will suffice until the DEP reviews and issues a federal Title V Operating Permit for air emissions by the cracker plant. Read More “PA Extends Temporary Shell Cracker Air Quality Permits Until Oct.”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Beaver County | Energy Companies | Ethane | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Processing Plants | Shell

Key Issue for Shell PA Cracker: What Constitutes Emissions Data?
March 9, 2026March 9, 2026

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Shell’s $15 billion petrochemical complex in Beaver County faces intense scrutiny following new emissions data highlighting persistent operational problems. Since opening, the facility has received 80 malfunction reports and 43 state violation notices. From 2020 to 2024, the plant emitted 17.9 billion pounds of “pollutants,” including nearly 400 million pounds of unexpected emissions during malfunctions involving hazardous chemicals like benzene and naphthalene. Despite Shell’s efforts, ongoing issues such as flaring, equipment breakdowns, and a 2025 fire continue to concern regulators and residents, while the local economy has unexpectedly shrunk since the plant’s inception. Read More “Key Issue for Shell PA Cracker: What Constitutes Emissions Data?”
CNG/LNG | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Shell

NY Court Blocks Shell’s Attempt to Overturn VG LNG Arbitration
March 5, 2026March 5, 2026

Venture Global’s Calcasieu Pass (CP) LNG export facility in Louisiana began operations in March 2022 (see Calcasieu Pass LNG Loads Inaugural Cargo; Sabine Pass LNG Expands). Typically, a new LNG facility will load and ship several (maybe two or three) cargoes to “work out the kinks” and ensure everything is working as advertised. Venture Global, using loopholes in its signed contracts, maintained that it was working out the kinks long after it began shipping. After *hundreds* of cargoes were shipped, CP’s customers were still not receiving their contracted (at lower prices) shipments. Shell, along with several other customers, sued (see Shell, Edison, BP File for Arbitration Against Venture Global LNG). Shell lost its arbitration case, but two months later, BP won its case. So, Shell appealed the case that was rejected in the New York County Supreme Court. And lost… Read More “NY Court Blocks Shell’s Attempt to Overturn VG LNG Arbitration”
CNG/LNG | Energy Companies | Exporting | Industrywide Issues | Shell

METLEN/Shell LNG Deal Boosts Demand for U.S. NatGas Exports
February 26, 2026February 26, 2026

METLEN (Greek energy company) and Shell have signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply and trading between 2027 and 2031. This partnership allows the Greek company to secure up to one billion cubic meters of LNG annually, leveraging domestic terminals and the Vertical Gas Corridor to supply Central Europe and Ukraine. The agreement highlights Greece’s growing importance as a strategic energy hub designed to replace Russian gas with U.S.-produced alternatives. This shift is further reinforced by increased Mediterranean exploration by major U.S. firms such as Chevron and ExxonMobil, solidifying the region’s role in European energy security. Believe it or not, there are implications for the Marcellus/Utica region. Read More “METLEN/Shell LNG Deal Boosts Demand for U.S. NatGas Exports”
Beaver County | Energy Companies | Ethane | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Processing Plants | Shell

Shell Weighs PA Cracker Plant Future as Chemical Losses Hit $66M
February 6, 2026February 6, 2026

Yesterday, Shell’s chemical division reported a $66 million fourth-quarter loss, driven by weak margins and operational hurdles at its $14 billion Beaver County ethane cracker plant complex. Shell CEO Wael Sawan acknowledged the chemicals business is underperforming, making a turnaround a “top priority” for 2026. Although Shell is exploring a sale or joint venture for the Monaca facility due to its geographic isolation and high costs, no specific updates were shared during the latest earnings call. Read More “Shell Weighs PA Cracker Plant Future as Chemical Losses Hit $66M”
CNG/LNG | Energy Companies | Exporting | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Shell

Venture Global Accuses Shell of ‘Campaign’ to Damage its LNG Biz
November 26, 2025November 26, 2025

This is really rich. Venture Global (VG), now the second-largest LNG (liquefied natural gas) exporter in the U.S., is accusing Shell of waging a “three-year campaign” to damage VG’s LNG business. VG’s Calcasieu Pass (CP) LNG export facility in Louisiana began operations in March 2022. Typically, a new LNG facility will load and ship several (maybe two or three) cargoes to “work out the kinks” and ensure everything is working as advertised. VG, using loopholes in its signed contracts, maintained that it was working out the kinks long after it began shipping. After *hundreds of cargoes* were shipped, CP’s customers were still not receiving their contracted (at lower prices) shipments. Shell, along with several other customers, sued (see Shell, Edison, BP File for Arbitration Against Venture Global LNG). Shell lost its arbitration case, but two months later, BP won its case. So, Shell appealed its rejected case (see Shell Challenges Venture Global Arbitration Loss in NY Court). Read More “Venture Global Accuses Shell of ‘Campaign’ to Damage its LNG Biz”
CNG/LNG | Energy Companies | Exporting | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Shell

Shell Challenges Venture Global Arbitration Loss in NY Court
November 12, 2025November 12, 2025

Venture Global’s Calcasieu Pass (CP) LNG export facility in Louisiana began operations in March 2022 (see Calcasieu Pass LNG Loads Inaugural Cargo; Sabine Pass LNG Expands). Typically, a new LNG facility will load and ship several (maybe two or three) cargoes to “work out the kinks” and ensure everything is working as advertised. Venture Global, using loopholes in its signed contracts, maintained that they were working out the kinks long after it began shipping. After hundreds of cargoes were shipped, CP’s customers were still not receiving their contracted (at lower prices) shipments. Shell, along with several other customers, sued (see Shell, Edison, BP File for Arbitration Against Venture Global LNG). Shell lost its arbitration case, but two months later, BP won its arbitration case. Shell is now appealing the rejected case. Read More “Shell Challenges Venture Global Arbitration Loss in NY Court”
CNG/LNG | Energy Companies | Exporting | Industrywide Issues | Shell

Shell Focusing on LNG for Next 10 Years; Expects Demand to Grow 60%
September 30, 2025September 30, 2025

In February 2016, Shell completed a $69.7 billion buyout and merger with BG, the largest such oil and gas deal since Exxon bought Mobil in 1999, driven by the company’s love of LNG (see LNG Love Story: Shell Makes Play to Buy BG in $69.7B Megamerger). BG Group was one of the biggest sellers and shippers of LNG in the world. The merger made Shell THE biggest LNG trader in the world post-merger, a position it continues to hold. But after buying and merging with BG, Shell lost its way for a while under CEO Ben van Beurden. No more. Shell’s love affair with LNG is back and passionate. Read More “Shell Focusing on LNG for Next 10 Years; Expects Demand to Grow 60%”