MarkWest Energy to Expand Sherwood Processing Complex in Doddridge County

Duane Nichols — Sat, 09 Nov 2013 12:27:49 +0000

MarkWest Energy Partners Signs Agreements with Antero Resources to Expand Sherwood Processing Complex to 1 Bcf/d

Press Release, Mark West Energy Partners, Business Wire, November 7, 2013

NOTE: The Sherwood Processing Complex is visible south of US Route 50 about five miles east of West Union, in Doddridge County, WV.

DENVER — MarkWest Energy Partners, L.P. announced the completion of long-term, fee-based agreements with Antero Resources for the development of an additional cryogenic gas processing plant at the Partnership’s Sherwood complex in Doddridge County, West Virginia.

Under terms of the agreements, MarkWest will construct a fifth 200 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) processing facility that is expected to begin operations in the third quarter of 2014. Upon completion of the new plant, the Sherwood complex will have 1 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of total processing capacity.

Antero is a premier producer in the Northeast and is aggressively developing their acreage position throughout the rich-gas Marcellus. The Sherwood complex currently consists of two plants with 400 MMcf/d of capacity and is operating near full utilization. By the end of this year, MarkWest will bring online a third 200 MMcf/d plant at the complex and is quickly moving forward with the construction of a fourth plant by the second quarter of 2014.

Antero’s natural gas liquids (NGLs) recovered at the Sherwood complex are currently being delivered to MarkWest’s Houston complex in Washington County, Pennsylvania for fractionation and marketing. The Houston complex is the largest fractionation facility in the Northeast and provides extensive logistics services, including storage and the delivery of purity products to market by truck, rail and pipeline.

In addition, the Houston complex offers Marcellus producers the first large-scale de-ethanization facility in the Northeast capable of producing purity ethane for delivery to Mariner West, and ultimately to the ATEX and Mariner East projects.

“We are delighted to further expand our strong relationship with Antero and develop additional processing capacity at the Sherwood complex to support their highly successful drilling program,” said Frank Semple, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of MarkWest. “The ability to offer producers fully integrated midstream services throughout northern West Virginia and southwest Pennsylvania is critical to unlocking the abundant rich-gas reserves of the Marcellus Shale.”

MarkWest Energy Partners, L.P. is a master limited partnership engaged in the gathering, processing and transportation of natural gas; the gathering, transportation, fractionation, storage and marketing of natural gas liquids; and the gathering and transportation of crude oil.

MarkWest has a leading presence in many unconventional gas plays including the Marcellus Shale, Utica Shale, Huron/Berea Shale, Haynesville Shale, Woodford Shale and Granite Wash formation.

SOURCE: MarkWest Energy Partners, L.P.

See also: www.EcoWatch.com and  www.FrackCheckWV.net

Update on New Chemical Plants to Crack Ethane

Duane Nichols — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 02:53:23 +0000

: Georgia Gulf now owns the PPG chemical plant at Natrium, WV

November 8, 2012… [Source: ICIS.com]… See here.

HOUSTON (ICIS)–US-based vinyls producer Georgia Gulf joined a number of other US petrochemical companies that are either considering new crackers or proceeding with construction plans.

Georgia Gulf said it is considering investing in a joint partnership on a condo cracker to secure a cost-effective way to get more ethylene feedstock. CEO Paul Carrico said the company has long sought to be able to secure cost-effective ethylene. “Our mission is to get about 50% of our volume requirements under a cost-base type of situation,” he said.

Carrico said Georgia Gulf has been thinking about such an arrangement as other US-based petrochemical producers have announced new ethane cracker projects. The US shale boom has caused many producers to look at ethane as the cheaper alternative to cracking naphtha.

Chevron Phillips Chemical will build a cracker in Cedar Bayou, Texas, while Dow Chemical will build one in Freeport, Texas.

Shell is evaluating a site in Monaca, Pennsylvania.

ExxonMobil said it will make a final decision on a US cracker project in the second quarter of 2013.

Formosa Plastics also said it plans to build an 800,000 tonne/year cracker in Point Comfort, Texas.

In March, Aither Chemicals and Renewable Manufacturing Gateway (RMG) said they were identifying potential sites in the Appalachia region for a catalytic cracker plant.

LyondellBasell said in April that it has started discussions with potential partners for a condo cracker, potentially at its Channelview complex in Texas.

In August, Mexico-based Occidental Chemical (OxyChem) and Mexichem signed a memorandum to evaluate a joint venture to build an ethane cracker. If feasible, the 500,000 tonne/year facility could begin operations in 2016.

Other companies have said they are considering investing in US cracker projects, including Saudi Arabia’s SABIC and Thailand’s Indorama.

Frack Check WV » butanes

MarkWest Energy to Expand Sherwood Processing Complex in Doddridge County

Update on New Chemical Plants to Crack Ethane