Chemical maker SABIC is dismantling its former plant near Washington in Wood County.
SABIC spokeswoman Shelia Naab told the Parkersburg News and Sentinel that a majority of the buildings are being demolished as part of an agreement to sell the property.
Brazilian petrochemical company Odebrecht plans to acquire the property. Odebrecht and plastics maker Braskem have proposed building an ethane cracker at the site.
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin’s spokesman, Chris Stadelman, said the companies haven’t yet made a decision on whether the cracker project will move forward.
Cracker plants crack or convert ethane into ethylene, a widely used chemical compound. Ethane is a byproduct of natural gas drilling.