Shell Signs Six-Month Extension to Buy Land for Cracker Plant

Royal Dutch Shell plc and Horshead Corp. agreed to a six-month extension for Shell to acquire land for a proposed cracker plant that it is considering building in Beaver County.  Shell had a December 31, 2012, deadline to buy the land in Center and Potter Townships, but obtained the extension to allow it more time to assess the project.  The Tribune-Review reports that local and state officials remain optimistic that Shell will move forward with the plant.  The cracker facility will be used to process ethane produced from the Marcellus and Utica shales, and the plant and associated businesses are projected by some to create up to 8,000 jobs for the local economy.