olefin cracker

US natural gas liquids (NGL) production is growing fast, and surplus volumes are moving to export markets.  NGL production from natural gas processors increased from 1.7 MMb/d in early 2009 to 3.0 MMb/d this year (2014), and it is expected to continue growing to 4.5 MMb/d by 2019. Despite the important role of NGLs, these markets are not well understood, both due to their complexity and the unique aspects of their production, transportation, storage and use.  One of the most misunderstood aspects of NGL markets – the extraction of NGLs from natural gas, is the subject of RBN’s latest Drill-Down Report.  In today’s blog we’ll look at highlights of the report which reviews the basics of natural gas processing, current NGL markets, an outlook for NGL production, the health of NGL processing as measured by the Frac Spread, and a detailed review of RBN’s gas processing economics model.

Up until a few years ago, propylene production was mostly a derivative of the petroleum refining and olefin cracking industries. But that is changing big time. Nowadays propylene demand in Asia is booming, US propane supplies are abundant and propylene output from refineries and olefin crackers is declining. Time to get serious about making propylene on purpose! As a result three new propane dehydrogenation (PDH) plants are expected online at the US Gulf Coast in 2015 and 2016 that will produce 4.3 billion pounds/year. These plants will help close the gap between increasing world propylene demand and declining “by-product” production from olefin crackers and refineries. They will also help soak up growing US propane supplies. Today we examine the recent rapid growth in PDH plant projects.

Emission regulations require that companies planning new olefin crackers in EPA designated nonattainment areas like Houston must buy emission credits prior to construction. The market for credits in Houston for one criteria pollutant – volatile organic compounds (VOCs) skyrocketed from $4.5K/ton in 2011 to $300K/ton this month. The scarcity of emission credits and their rising price threaten to constrain or delay new petrochemical plant builds and will continue to hamper plant development and expansions in the Gulf Coast region. Today we describe the challenge new projects face.

Cheap feedstocks resulting from dramatic increases in US shale production of natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGLs) have led petrochemical companies to plan at least 7 new processing plants - known as olefin crackers - all but one on the Gulf Coast. These plants are expensive (think $billions) and take years to permit and build. They also produce significant quantities of emissions that are restricted by the Clean Air Act (CAA) – some of which trade in a market that has been skyrocketing for the past few months – threatening to delay or constrain the Gulf Coast cracker building spree before it gets started. Today we describe the regulations.

<p>Last week we introduced a blog series from contributor Ann Davis Vaughan on condensates – the hydrocarbon mixture that is now being produced from tight oil shale plays in increasing quantities.</p>