Seismic reflections: Cheap US chemical feedstock

Cheap natural gas liquids are providing a major boost to the competitiveness of the US chemical industry. As a result, interest in capacity expansion in US bulk chemicals is surging while the industry in Europe is increasingly concerned. Enhanced competitiveness is, of course, a function of the rapidly increasing availability of domestic feedstock following the development of liquids-rich shale gas resources, especially in the Eagle Ford and Marcellus formations of Texas and Appalachia respectively. The barely tapped Utica shale of western Appalachia offers further massive potential.

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