A petchems facility in Louisiana
Petchems Report: US a petchems hotbed while Europe struggles
Low-cost ethane has made the US a premier destination for petchems investments, while in Europe the industry faces economic headwinds
The US has added a significant amount of new petrochemical production capacity since the shale gas boom. Cheap, abundant ethane has enabled producers to increase margins versus other naphtha-based crackers. This has turned the US into a hotbed destination for new petrochemical plant investments. However, the days of large-scale ethane cracker investments are nearing their end. The only two major ethylene and derivative complexes under development in the US are the 2mt/yr petrochemical complex project being developed by Golden Triangle—a joint venture between Chevron Phillips Chemical and QatarEnergy—and PTTGC’s Ohio cracker project. PTTGC announced in September 2023 that it still supported t
Also in this section
27 February 2026
LNG would serve as a backup supply source as domestic gas declines and the country’s energy system comes under stress during periods of low hydropower output and high energy demand
27 February 2026
The assumption that oil markets will re-route and work around sanctions is being tested, and it is the physical infrastructure that is acting as the constraint
27 February 2026
The 25th WPC Energy Congress to take place in tandem as part of a coordinated week of high-level ministerial, institutional and industry engagements
27 February 2026
The deepwater sector must be brave by fast-tracking projects and making progress to seize huge offshore opportunities and not become bogged down by capacity constraints and consolidation
