Shell PA Cracker Must File for Full Title V Air Permit, or Else

The Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) sent a letter to the Shell ethane cracker plant on Feb. 22 essentially saying, “You’re time is up.” The cracker plant facility has 120 days from Feb. 22 (until Jun. 21) to file for a federal Title V Operating Permit for air emissions. If the facility doesn’t at…

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PA DEP Shakes Down Shell Another $2.6M for Cracker Air Violations

Although Shell maintains flaring and accidental emissions from its new multi-billion-dollar ethane cracker in Beaver County, PA, have not violated state and federal air standards, the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) says they have — on numerous occasions. Shell didn’t argue the point, and last May, the company agreed to pay nearly $10 million…

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Record High NGL Exports from Marcus Hook, ET Expanding Facility

Pipeline giant Energy Transfer (ET), owner of the Mariner East Pipeline system, the Marcus Hook NGL terminal, and the Rover pipeline in the Marcellus/Utica region, issued its fourth quarter and full-year 2023 update yesterday. Net income for 4Q23 was $1.57 billion, up 9% from 4Q22’s $1.44 billion. However, net income for 2023 was $5.29 billion,…

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Shell PA Cracker’s First Birthday – One Unit Still Not Online

The Shell ethane cracker plant in Monaca, PA (Beaver County) just hit a milestone: It’s been up and running (in a manner of speaking) for one year. Except during that one year, quite a bit of the time was spent NOT running due to various technical and equipment issues. According to a review done by…

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PTT Working on Plan to Build Petchem Plant…in Thailand, Not Ohio

This is your friendly (somewhat snarky) semi-annual reminder from MDN that the PTT ethane cracker project in Ohio is dead (see Facing Reality – PTT Ohio Cracker Plant Project is Dead). We periodically look for signs of life in the project, and it has been a flat line for YEARS. Nothing. Local and state leaders…

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Shell’s PA Ethane Cracker Restarts After Weeks of Maintenance

Shell’s mighty ethane cracker plant in Monaca (Beaver County), PA, has been shut down for “weeks” in order to conduct maintenance on the plant. The cracker plant, according to the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP), has been down since October and is just now restarting. By our math, it was down for the entire…

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Now-Dead Parkersburg Cracker Site Finally Records Deed Transfer

Braskem, the largest petrochemical company in Latin America (headquartered in Brazil), and its parent company Odebrecht were, at one time, hot-to-trot to build a multi-billion dollar ethane cracker near Parkersburg, WV. Back in 2015, Braskem purchased the 374-acre site that was formerly the SABIC/GE property from Appalachian Shale Cracker Enterprise for $10.9 million. Then things…

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U.S. Ethane Production Hits New All-Time High of 2.7M B/D

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) is reporting ethane production reached a new monthly record high of 2.7 million barrels per day (b/d) in April 2023. EIA said increased natural gas and ethane production in the Permian Basin is the main reason. But don’t overlook the Marcellus/Utica! Our region has routinely hit new highs for…

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PA DEP Considers Plan to Expand ET’s Marcus Hook Ethane Chilling

On February 14, 2022, Energy Transfer Marketing & Terminals, L.P. (ETMT) applied to expand the company’s ethane chilling capacity at the Marcus Hook Terminal (MHT) from approximately 75,000 barrels per day (bpd) to approximately 85,000 bpd. Because the facility is located in a so-called Environmental Justice (EJ) area, the DEP is conducting an even more…

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PTT Offers Excuses to Belmont County on Why Cracker Project Stalled

Two weeks ago, MDN editor Jim Willis offered the opinion that PTT Global Chemical is not going to build an ethane cracker plant in Belmont County (see Facing Reality – PTT Ohio Cracker Plant Project is Dead). He backed up his opinion with observations and facts to support it. On Tuesday, the Belmont County Township…

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Facing Reality – PTT Ohio Cracker Plant Project is Dead

We’ll say aloud what no one else appears ready or willing to say: The long-ballyhooed PTT ethane cracker plant project in Belmont County, Ohio, announced eight years ago, is dead. That’s our humble opinion. We periodically look for signs of life in the project, and it has been a flat line for YEARS. Nothing. A…

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Ctte Doling Out $5M in Shell Cracker Shakedown Cash Sets Criteria

Although Shell maintains flaring and accidental emissions from its new multi-billion-dollar ethane cracker in Beaver County, PA, have not violated state and federal air standards, the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) says they have–on numerous occasions. Shell didn’t argue the point, and in May, the company agreed to pay nearly $10 million in fines…

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Green Activists Complain to Wrong Agency re Shell Cracker Violations

Yesterday around 30-40 environmental activists (anti-fossil fuelers), along with a handful of local residents, rallied in Beaver, PA, before showing up for the Beaver County Commission regular meeting. The protesters, who want the Shell ethane cracker plant shut down, vented their concerns about the plant to county commissioners. The three county commissioners listened while antis

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Shell Cracker Agrees to $10M Shakedown from PA, Restarting Now

In March, Shell said its Pennsylvania ethane cracker facility had not–using new, more accurate methods of measuring emissions–violated emissions limits… Continue reading The post Shell Cracker Agrees to $10M Shakedown from PA, Restarting Now first appeared on Marcellus Drilling News. This post appeared first on Marcellus Drilling News.

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Shell PA Cracker Plant Remains Shut Down for “Few Weeks” at Least

The Shell ethane cracker plant in Beaver County, PA (near Pittsburgh) has experienced a number of problems over the past… Continue reading The post Shell PA Cracker Plant Remains Shut Down for “Few Weeks” at Least first appeared on Marcellus Drilling News. This post appeared first on Marcellus Drilling News.

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