Experts believe an increased availability of ethane storage facilities in eastern Ohio, southwestern Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia will attract petrochemical plants that turn ethane into raw plastic, according to the Associated Press.
Incidentally, plans are underway to create two underground facilities to store ethane in the Appalachian Basin. Energy Storage Ventures is awaiting approval of Ohio state regulators to begin construction on its underground storage facility, which will store ethane and other natural gas liquids. Additionally, Appalachia Development Group in Charleston, West Virginia, wants to build an even larger storage facility somewhere in the tristate region.
Industry experts believe there is enough potential ethane production in Appalachia’s Utica and Marcellus shale fields to sustain four or five petrochemical plants. Likewise, they believe underground storage is vital to providing an uninterrupted supply to those plants.
Learn more: U.S. News & World Report > Ethane Storage Seen as Key to Revitalization of Appalachia
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