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
6 February 2026
The long close relationship between key supplier Qatar and pivotal buyer Japan becomes even deeper following new landmark deal
6 February 2026
Partnerships across the LNG value chain have evolved over time, growing in both complexity and importance, according to panellists at LNG2026
6 February 2026
Nigeria's mega-refinery is still trying to solve many challenges, all while its owner talks up expansion
5 February 2026
While broadly supportive of EU efforts to tackle methane emissions, representatives of the gas industry warn it could deter supply contracting if timelines and compliance requirements are not made more pragmatic
