Shale-Gas Boom Spurs Race

The Wall Street Journal ^ | DECEMBER 26, 2011 | JAMES R. HAGERTY

[MinorityRepublican]

Ethylene cracker at Dow Chemical plant in Hahnville, La.

The boom in low-cost natural gas from shale is driving investment in plants that use gas for fuel or as a raw material, setting off a race by states to attract such factories and the jobs they create.

Shale-gas production is spurring construction of plants that make chemicals, plastics, fertilizer, steel and other products. A report issued earlier this month by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC estimated that such investments could create a million U.S. manufacturing jobs over the next 15 years.

West Virginia is vying with Pennsylvania and Ohio to attract an ethylene plant that Royal Dutch Shell PLC said it plans to build in the Appalachian region to take advantage of the plentiful new gas supplies.

Shell is due to announce a site early in 2012. Ethylene, produced from ethane in natural gas, is used to make plastics and other materials that go into an array of products, including pipes, paint and antifreeze.

West Virginia's legislature, meeting in a special session, passed a bill this month setting rules for shale gas drilling and production. The legislation ensures "a reliable supply" of shale gas in West Virginia and should dispel regulatory uncertainty that could slow investment, Keith Burdette, the state's commerce secretary, said in an interview.

The U.S. chemical industry is the biggest potential winner from the shale boom—which involves a technique called hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, to obtain gas locked in rock formations—but other industries also see benefits.

Shale gas development has been ramping up over the past two years and now accounts for more than one-third of all U.S. natural-gas production, according to IHS Global Insight, an economic think tank that earlier this month released a shale-gas study financed by energy-production companies.

[gleeaikin]

I’d rather have fracking than mountain top removal.

[Recon Dad]

The opportunity for foreign companies to build plant here is outstanding especially in Pennsylvania and Ohio. Having a cheap source of power is exactly what they require along with a good workforce.

[Army Air Corps]

Ping.

[PALIN SMITH]

This is Obana's Achille's Heel.

If he continues to impede domestic energy, he loses BIG Time!

If he steals the show, he's shown to be a Johnny-come-lately.

[ckilmer]

Why is it that American companies can’t do the same thing.

[thackney]

They are:

http://www.icis.com/Articles/2011/04/21/9454636/dow-chemical-to-build-new-us-cracker-for-start-up-in-2017.html

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-14/chevron-phillips-will-move-forward-with-ethane-ethylene-project.html

[E. Pluribus Unum]

The EPA will use regulations to cause the cost of natural gas power to "skyrocket," just like it used regulations to cause the cost of coal power to "skyrocket."

The goal is not protection of the environment.

The goal is to deprive the peasants of cheap energy so they starve and freeze and just plain die so the elite can live in the Walden paradise the deserve.

[burroak]

Have you arrived at that conclusion after learning about the restoration work that goes on after the mining operation is completed?

[Repeal The 17th]

“...I’d rather have fracking than mountain top removal...”
-
I’d rather have both.

[17th Miss Regt]

Ethylene cracker at Dow Chemical plant in Hahnville, La.

So you have an ethylene plant for the crackers but not one for the brothers? It's no wonder this administration is opposing these plants - they are racist!

[jdsteel]

LOL!