Companies Progress On Shale Investments

Dow Chemical and Shell Chemical are both furthering plans to build petrochemical facilities that take advantage of burgeoning supplies of natural gas from shale. Dow has selected sites for previously announced Gulf Coast polymer plants that will be downstream from new ethylene capacity the firm is planning for the region. Freeport, Texas, will host plants making Affinity hot-melt adhesives and Elite polyethylene for packaging applications. In Plaquemine, La., Dow will construct ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber and low-density polyethylene plants. Separately, Shell is soliciting bids from ethane suppliers for the ethylene cracker and downstream facilities the firm is considering for Monaca, Pa. A Shell affiliate and other firms have already signed on to supply ethane to the project, although Shell has yet to give it the final go-ahead.