Ethane

At the end of October, MDN told you about comments from Shell’s retiring CEO Peter Voser that stoked fears that the previously announced Pennsylvania ethane cracker plant they may build was in doubt (see Rumor Mill: PA Ethane Cracker Plant on Shell Chopping Block?). Voser said that Shell’s wishlist included three major projects: the ethane cracker in PA, a gas-to-liquids plant in Louisiana, and an LNG plant in Canada. At the time Voser said Shell cannot build all three projects and would need to make “hard choices.”

It looks like the choice has been made and it’s very good news for PA! Yesterday Shell announced they are nixing the gas-to-liquids project in Louisiana, which (MDN’s view) makes it much more likely the PA ethane cracker plant will go forward. Here’s Shell’s statement from yesterday:
Read More “Odds in Favor of a PA Ethane Cracker Just Went WAY Up”

Yes, more “cracker talk,” but we’re hopelessly addicted to cracker talk. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is reporting that Shell is buying up more land around a proposed ethane cracker site in Beaver County, PA. If Shell has decided to not build the cracker, it certainly doesn’t make sense for them to spend money on purchasing land. So, maybe this is a good sign that Shell is moving forward with their cracker?

The race is now on to see who will build the first ethane cracker in the northeast: PA or WV. Is the talk about Shell buying land just more hype by the Pittsburgh media? Or is there something “there” with this story? The latest scuttlebutt about the Shell cracker…
Read More “Cracker Talk: Shell Rumored to be Buying Up Land Near Site”

It seems that darned West Virginia ethane cracker plant is just getting too much attention, so the AP has written a “Me too! Me too! Look at me! Pick me!” article about the proposed Shell ethane cracker plant planned for Beaver County, PA. AP has “investigated” (there’s a first!) and found certain evidence that may point to Shell actually going forward with their cracker plant. As MDN pointed out tongue-in-cheek just last week, the Greater Pittsburgh area has some angst that the WV cracker may spell the end of the Shell cracker in their state–so there’s a bit of trash talking going on (see Clash of the Ethane Cracker Titans: PA vs WV Smackdown).

AP to the rescue! Here’s the evidence from the AP that yes indeed, Shell really really really is maybe considering may possibly might actually build a cracker plant near Pittsburgh after all:
Read More “AP’s “Evidence” Shell Still Considering a PA Cracker Plant”