The Marcellus Shale Coalition said in a press release Tuesday that President Donald Trump’s recent visit to the ethane cracker plant currently under construction in Beaver County highlights the “energy-enabled Rust Belt Revival” in Appalachia.
“Thanks to abundant, low-cost natural gas, regional manufacturers have a cost-competitive advantage to invest and create good-paying local jobs,” the coalition said.
The Shell Petrochemicals Complex project employs more than 5,000 area construction workers and is set to be completed in the coming years. Once completed, the manufacturing facility will employ hundreds of local workers.
“Affordable, abundant, local natural gas is powering a Rust Belt revival, as the region looks to gain a competitive edge in attracting advanced manufacturing – and the good-paying jobs that come with it,” Marcellus Shale Coalition President David Spigelmyer said.
In Appalachia, natural gas liquids production increased from 43 thousand barrels per day (b/d) in 2012 to 512 thousand b/d in 2017, according to recent federal government data. Because of this, Pennsylvania could attract four more ethane crackers in addition to the current project in Beaver County, according to a 2017 IHS Markit analysis.