Shell cracker plant nearing completion?
Monday, October 14, 2019
Workers have finished erecting major parts of the plant, but some 6,000 electricians, pipefitters and welders are still working to connect the pieces and finish the project, according to Michael Marr, business integration lead for Shell Appalachia.
Marr recently addressed attendees at Utica Summit VII on Thursday, providing an update on Shell’s petrochemical plant being constructed in western Pennsylvania, but failing to be more specific about its completion date, according to The Massillon Independent.
When the company announced its building plan in 2016, it said the plant would be completed in the early 2020s. Shell is the first company to start building a cracker in the region. Thailand-based PTT Global Chemical is exploring a similar project in Belmont County.
Learn more: The Massillon Independent > Utica Summit hear Shell cracker update
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Shale FAQ
What is fracking?
Fracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing. Fracturing is a process by which highly pressurized fluid is pumped thousands of feet into the ground to fracture rock formations. The goal is to release the natural gas that’s locked inside the rock.
Is it safe?
What most concerns people about fracturing is ground water contamination. The worry is that fractures underground, caused by the process, will extending upwards and into aquifers, releasing gas and chemicals into the ground water supply. There’s been no confirmed reports of such a thing happening. Though surface spills and drill site blowouts can lead to localized environmental concerns.
Will my water catch on fire?
Flammable water is caused by the release of methane gas into a drinking water supply. Methane gas occurs naturally and can be released by any kind of drilling, including water wells. In Pennsylvania officials fined Chesapeake Energy $1 million for contaminating ground water with methane. It was determined that the company had not properly cemented it’s boreholes and gas migrated up the well, between rock and into aquifers.