By Joe Carroll
Dec. 27 (Bloomberg) — A surge in U.S. natural-gas production from shale rock is spurring states to compete for companies to produce chemicals from the fuel, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia are vying to attract a plant that will turn gas into ethylene proposed by Royal Dutch Shell Plc, the Journal reported today. Shell intends to announce a site early next year, the newspaper said. Ethylene is a building block of plastics and other materials used to make pipes, paint and antifreeze.
Plentiful domestic gas supplies have depressed prices, attracting chemical, fertilizer and steel manufacturers to construct new U.S. plants and reopen shuttered mills in what was a high-priced market a few years ago, the newspaper said.
West Virginias legislature passed a bill this month establishing regulations for drilling into shale formations, a process known as hydraulic fracturing that involves pumping high-pressure water, sand and chemicals into the ground to shatter rocks and allow gas to flow, the Journal said, citing Keith Burdette, the states commerce secretary. The legislation should dispel any uncertainty about West Virginias ability to provide a reliable supply of gas, the paper quoted Burdette as saying.
Nucor Corp. is spending $750 million to build a steel mill in Louisiana, an investment that wouldnt have been feasible without the plunge in gas prices, the newspaper said, citing Nucor Chief Executive Officer Dan DiMicco.
CF Industries Holdings Inc., which makes fertilizer from gas-derived ingredients, plans to spend $1 billion to $1.5 billion over several years to expand its North American plants, the newspaper said. Low gas prices also have reduced electricity costs in some regions where generators burn gas, prompting Brazils Santana Textiles to build a $180 million denim plant in Edinburg, Texas, the Journal said.
–Editors: Jasmina Kelemen, Will Wade
To contact the reporter on this story: Joe Carroll in Chicago at [email protected]
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Susan Warren at [email protected]
This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.
Royal Dutch Shell conspired directly with Hitler, financed the Nazi Party, was anti-Semitic and sold out its own Dutch Jewish employees to the Nazis. Shell had a close relationship with the Nazis during and after the reign of Sir Henri Deterding, an ardent Nazi, and the founder and decades long leader of the Royal Dutch Shell Group. His burial ceremony, which had all the trappings of a state funeral, was held at his private estate in Mecklenburg, Germany. The spectacle (photographs below) included a funeral procession led by a horse drawn funeral hearse with senior Nazis officials and senior Royal Dutch Shell directors in attendance, Nazi salutes at the graveside, swastika banners on display and wreaths and personal tributes from Adolf Hitler and Reichsmarschall, Hermann Goring. Deterding was an honored associate and supporter of Hitler and a personal friend of Goring.
Deterding was the guest of Hitler during a four day summit meeting at Berchtesgaden. Sir Henri and Hitler both had ambitions on Russian oil fields. Only an honored personal guest would be rewarded with a private four day meeting at Hitler’s mountain top retreat.
IN JULY 2007, MR BILL CAMPBELL (ABOVE, A RETIRED GROUP AUDITOR OF SHELL INTERNATIONAL SENT AN EMAIL TO EVERY UK MP AND MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS: 
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A head-cut image of Alfred Donovan (now deceased) appears courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.
