Shell’s ethane cracker begins operations in western Pa.
Monday, November 21, 2022
After nearly a decade of construction, Shell’s ethane cracker plant near Pittsburgh is now in operation, according to Yahoo! News.
The massive petrochemical refinery will produce 3.5 billion pounds of polyethylene annually when it reaches full production in the second half of 2023.
The facility will create ethylene by taking ethane from natural gas wells and chemically cracking the liquid fuel by heating it in furnaces. Ethylene is used to produce everything from plastics to tires to antifreeze.
The refinery is expected to employ 600 permanent workers.
Learn more: Yahoo! News > After years of construction, Shell ethane cracker starts up
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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.