Gulf Coast

Multimedia: Mapping US ethane cracker construction projects

May 5, 2016

There are currently seven ethane crackers under construction on the U.S. Gulf Coast - for a total of about 8.75 million metric tons of new annual ethylene capacity - five of which are slated to come on stream by the end of 2017, according to Petrochemical...

Texas, Louisiana petchems hires to peak in 2016-2018

May 5, 2016

The demand for skilled labor in the Texas and Louisiana chemicals industry over the next five years may have recently hit its peak in Q1 2016, at around 82,000 workers, Brent Sexton, director Customer Relations at the Construction Labor Market Analyzer (CLMA...

Primus taps Marcellus to yield big methanol margins at small capex

Apr 22, 2016

Gas-to-liquids (GTL) technology firm Primus Green Energy is developing low-capex methanol production on the Marcellus shale to leverage low-cost feedstock and freight savings for buyers, Primus’s Chief Commercial Officer George Boyajian told Petrochemical...

Bechtel uses tech and business tools to offset impact of tight skills market

Apr 21, 2016

Business and technological innovations such as setting up specialty welding companies and a new mobile field-supervision software platform are helping Bechtel offset the impact of the tight skills market, and better train and retain its existing workforce,...

Infographic: US ethane cracker construction costs rise 1-2% year on year

Apr 7, 2016

Total construction costs for a typical 1.5 mtpa ethane cracker on the US Gulf Coast range between about $1.48 billion in a low-case scenario, $1.74 billion in a base case scenario and $2 billion in a high-case scenario, according to Petrochemical Update...

Project owners use lean methods, reverse-phase schedules to cut risk

Mar 24, 2016

Petrochemical owners can reduce the volatility of the current business environment on the scope of their projects by maximizing their front-end planning (FEP) and implementing lean principles in engineering and construction, according to a panel of experts...

Plant builders use new methods to control schedule, boost FEED

Feb 26, 2016

Petrochemical and refining owners can significantly improve their front-end engineering and design (FEED) packages if they complement the standard consultant project evaluations with their own in-house project performance criteria, according to Taylor Auburg...

Dow Chemical eyes high-margin product gains from GoM expansion

Feb 11, 2016

The Dow Chemical Company is on track to complete its 1.5 mtpa ethylene cracker in Freeport, Texas in Q2 2017 as part of a wider production thrust to meet rising demand for speciality products in the Americas, Doug May, Dow’s business president for Olefins,...

US contractors urged to boost training despite oil slump

Feb 11, 2016

Engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) companies on the Gulf Coast should focus on training skilled craft workers as a long-term strategy even as low oil prices are putting pressure on company balance sheets and project deliveries in the short term,...

Shell plans to up petchems spend; India’s GAIL eyes US ethane

Feb 11, 2016

Petrochemicals news you need to know.

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