Shells latest announcement about buying a hotel in Beaver County is the latest sign that Shell continues to move forward with the cracker plant.  Rumors have floated around that Shell would not make a final “Yes” or “No” decision, but rather just keep working on the site.

A deed recorded with Beaver County showed a sale price of $2.5 million to Three Center Independent Oil Real Estate, which owned the property at 427 Frankfort Road. That company bought the property in 2011 from Josephine Lang for $200,000.

Shell spokesman Michael Marr confirmed the purchase and said the company “is taking the necessary steps to prepare for potential construction in the event a decision to build the project is made.”

The Kobuta property is near the former Horsehead Corp. site that is being remediated by Shell for potential use as an ethane cracker plant.

Shell has not made a final investment decision on whether it will build a multibillion-dollar plant, but work continues at a rapid pace at the site to prepare it for potential construction.

I strongly encourage anyone who has any information about the Shell cracker plant to add to the conversation.

The Shell cracker plant will be transformational for Western PA and the PTT cracker plant in Belmont County will have the same effect on Southeastern OH and Northwestern WV.

I have from numerous sources that once the PTT cracker plant is under construction, a couple more Asian cracker plants will move into the area.

All of this cracker plant activity looks very promising.  We’ll be monitoring it to keep you up to date with the latest information.

Joseph Barone
www.ShaleDirectories.com