Tag: Odebrecht

SABIC Dismantling Former Wood County Plant

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.

Proposed Cracker Plant in W.Va. to Be Re-Evaluated

Brazilian petrochemical company Odebrecht and plastics maker Braskem say they will re-evaluate an ethane cracker they proposed to build in West Virginia.

In a statement to media outlets, the companies say a re-evaluation of the project’s configuration is needed under current energy scenarios.

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin’s spokesman, Chris Stadelman, tells media outlets that the re-evaluation is understandable because of changes in worldwide energy markets and the magnitude of investment.

Cracker plants crack or convert ethane into ethylene, a widely used chemical compound. Ethane is a byproduct of natural gas drilling.

The proposed ASCENT project would include an ethane cracker, three polyethylene plants and associated infrastructure. The complex would be located in Wood County.

Stadelman says Tomblin and Commerce Secretary Keith Burdette will continue to work with the companies.

 

Governor's Trip to Brazil to Focus on Ethane Cracker Plant

Governor Earl Ray Tomblin announced Thursday he will lead a trade mission to Brazil next week to continue talks with two companies who plan to bring an ethane cracker to the state. 

Tomblin and members of the West Virginia Development Office will meet with executives from Odebrecht and Braskem while on the four day trip to the South American country, focusing on the next steps for Project ASCENT.

ASCENT stands for “Appalachian Shale Cracker Enterprise,” and initial investments in the program were announced last November to bring a petrochemical complex and ethane cracker plant to Wood County.

Since, two natural gas companies in North Central West Virginia have signed on to the project- Antero and Range Resources.

Tomblin said in a release the project will allow the state not just to expand production of the natural gas industry, but to ensure those resources are used at home. 

Company Considering Plant in W.Va. Seeks Permits

  A company studying the feasibility of building an ethane cracker plant in Wood County has applied for two state permits.

The Appalachian Shale Cracker Enterprise LLC is seeking an air quality permit and a permit to evaluate the site of the proposed plant under the state’s Voluntary Remediation Program.

Company spokeswoman Denise Cruz tells The Parkersburg News & Sentinel that permitting is another administrative step in an ongoing feasibility study of the proposal.

The company’s parent, Odebrecht, announced plans last fall to develop a cracker facility, three polyethylene plants and associated infrastructure for water treatment and energy co-generation in Wood County.

Cracker plants crack or convert ethane into ethylene, a widely used chemical compound. Ethane is a byproduct of natural gas drilling.

Antero to Supply Proposed W.Va. Cracker Plant

Antero Resources says it will be the anchor ethane supplier for a proposed cracker plant in West Virginia.
 
Antero announced an agreement on Wednesday to provide 30,000 barrels of ethane a day to the plant, if it’s built.
 
Brazilian petrochemical giant Odebrecht is exploring the possibility of building the ethane cracker and three polyethylene plants in Wood County. The complex would be known as Ascent, which stands for Appalachian Shale Cracker Enterprise.
 
Antero says in a news release that Ascent would use the ethane it supplies to manufacture polyethylene.
 
Odebrecht would lead the project’s investment and financing, along with water and electric utility operations. Plastics maker Braskem S.A. of Brazil would handle petrochemical-related activities.
 
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin says the Antero agreement is a major step forward for the project.
 
 

Parkersburg Area Plant Closing on Proposed Cracker Plant Land

A plastics manufacturer that employs 130 workers in Wood County is closing the plant on land where a Brazilian petrochemical giant is exploring the possibility of building several facilities.  

SABIC Innovative Plastics informed employees at its Washington facility on Thursday.
 
That news came shortly before Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin announced Odebrecht had chosen the same site to explore the possible location of an ethane cracker plant and three polyethlene plants.

Plant manager Scott Dansey says SABIC is consolidating U.S. operations involving a type of thermoplastic resin. Some production will be transferred to plants in Ottawa, Ill., and Bay St. Louis, Miss., in 2015.
 
Dansey says employees will continue to work at the Washington site over the next 18 months to assist with the transition.
 
 

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