Medical communities count on products manufactured by natgas, hydraulic fracking, PIOGA says

The Pennsylvania Independent Oil & Gas Association (PIOGA) recently demonstrated the importance of plastics, made from natural gas distillates like ethane and propane, for Pennsylvania’s medical communities.

The resources available from natural gas and hydraulic fracturing in Pennsylvania’s portion of the Marcellus and Utica shale reserves has driven a variety of opportunities for the Commonwealth, the association said on Wednesday.

More than 90 items made possible through the processing of oil and natural gas into advanced plastics and synthetic rubber can be found in a typical emergency room.

“Americans often take for granted the thousands of products made from oil and natural gas that they use every day, from lightweight automobile parts and paint to food packaging and performance clothing,” PIOGA said. “These important consumer items can only be made by processing crude oil and natural gas, using chemical treatments and technologies to make each product. The same goes for the hundreds of petroleum-derived items used by health care providers, from simple items such as band-aids and latex gloves, to complex heart valves and artificial joints.”

An accompanying PIOGA infographic listed in greater detail the specific items produced from shale reserve plastics manufacturing for emergency rooms and daily medical use. Items included blood pressure cuffs, EKG leads, IV pumps and fluid bags, adhesive foam, medication packaging, patient call bells, and more.

“For Pennsylvanians continuing to disparage its natural gas resources and uses, there must be an acknowledgment of the critical supply chain it secures for medical equipment,” PIOGA said.