A New Cracker Plant?

Folks, we're not talking about food! In the world of chemistry, the term cracking refers to the process of breaking large molecules into smaller ones. In the petrochemical industry, cracking plants take the feedstock from producing oil and gas wells and converts it to a usable product such as feedstock to produce plastic and jet fuel. The actual end product depends upon both the process and the feedstock. We're going to see major investments in the Marcella Shale region by the major oil companies as a result of cracker plant construction. The actual sighting of these plants will depend upon how generous an individual state cares to be in providing incentives such as reduced property taxes and the availability of pipelines and railroads to transport the end product. The game is on! Here's an article which confirms that Shell has already started the process of constructing a petroleum a.k.a. cracker plant:

http://www.hydrocarbonprocessing.com/Article/2843163/Shell-plans-wo...

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Dan on February 7, 2012 at 1:11am

Al, any thoughts on the questions above?

Permalink Reply by Al Cramblett on February 7, 2012 at 6:59am

Dan, I don't know what else to say. I was given the name of a company that was not Markwest. Said company specializes in a different sector of the oil/gas industry. Until ground is broken and despite all the news articles, the who, what, when, and where is speculation. One thing I do know: NG is at a 10 year low. Industry entrepreneurs will capitalize upon this--whether it is by transport to existing processing plants or industrial/residential customers, conversion to LNP, or being processed at newly constructed plants remains to be seen. As an aside, as a degree holding chemical engineer, I can tell you that the terminology you are using to distinguish the type of plant is futile as the terminology can be considered synonymous.

Permalink Reply by Dan on February 7, 2012 at 7:37am

Thanks Al. Actually, your "aside" comment was really the answer I was looking for. So that I may confidently ascend up the learning curve, are you saying that fractionation (I see I spelled it wrong above) is the formal word for cracking, and so Markwest Utica is stating they are building a cracker plant in Harrison County?

If that is true, and others are going to be doing it too, then how many cracker plants can this area support? And if so many are going in, then why is everyone so worked up about where Shell is going to site their cracker plant, as if it is the only one coming into the whole appalachian region?

Permalink Reply by scott jackovitch on February 5, 2012 at 10:13am

I drove past there on friday and they were doing some drilling out in the field in that spot. I think the signs at the road said Atlas on them , I could be wrong it was hard to read going 55mph.

Permalink Reply by Al Cramblett on February 5, 2012 at 10:21am

Scott, you're right, but the drilling(s) are Clinton wells and are not associated with the processing plant being dfiscussed other that by proximity.

Permalink Reply by scott jackovitch on February 5, 2012 at 10:39am

Al do you have any idea on where the Markwest plant might be going ?

Permalink Reply by Al Cramblett on February 5, 2012 at 3:49pm

No

Permalink Reply by Dan on February 1, 2012 at 7:45am

1/31/2012 - Press Release: MarkWest Announces Significant Processing and Fractionation Infrastructure for the Marcellus and Utica Shales

Significant plant and storage facility planned for Harrison County

Full Article here.

Permalink Reply by Mark Allen on February 1, 2012 at 8:04am

COME TO PAPA!

Permalink Reply by Bill DeVore on February 6, 2012 at 3:12am

  FYI,There is a well going in on Henderson rd. North of SR646 in Scio. However I havent seen anything of a well permit.

Permalink Reply by Mark Allen on February 6, 2012 at 2:36pm

fire up the ovens boys, if it is a saltine,a ritz,a keebler,a gramm, a peanut butter or a wheat thin...it flat doesn't matter it is still a Cracker!..........Put it in a shell,or x it out, chev run the cons ol, take a ches a peak in the ana dark o,just run it through Mark's west pipeline., so we can start gulfing at the local port,why the carr izo plays with the ant ero in noble times.   It will all make sense a year from now.      Sorry Al, just feeling my oats tonight!  

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Permalink Reply by HB on February 8, 2012 at 5:52pm

Fractionation is the physical process of separating the various hydrocarbons from the gas stream (and each other).  Fractionation is necessary in order to send pure ethane (or propane, as desired) to the cracker.  Cracking is a chemical process (usually done catalytically) that dehydrogenates ethane into ethylene (the feedstock for polyethylene).  The MarkWest fractionation facilities will undoubtedly feed purified ethane (& propane?) to the Shell cracker.

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