Twenty years ago, US domestic producers of natural gas couldn’t find
enough reserves to justify the expenses associated with drilling. Today,
thanks in large part to fracking, we’re experiencing a natural-gas
bonanza.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, new developments in drilling and extraction technology have opened the door for the capture of more than 2,000 trillion cubic feet of recoverable gas—enough to take us, at current rates of consumption, into the 22nd century.
In addition to potential health concerns, most of the talk about the shale gas boom so far has focused on what it will or won’t do for America’s energy needs. But an important side conversation is now taking place among companies that rely on this fossil fuel for other purposes.
Natural gas contains many of the vital raw materials that are used to manufacture plastics and chemicals.
The new tide of cheap natural gas has launched the petrochemical industry on the biggest building spree it has seen in many years, with many experts predicting enormous increases in production of those plastics most often used in consumer packaging and single-use products.
Read more: Why the U.S. plastics industry loves the fracking boom - Salon.com
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, new developments in drilling and extraction technology have opened the door for the capture of more than 2,000 trillion cubic feet of recoverable gas—enough to take us, at current rates of consumption, into the 22nd century.
In addition to potential health concerns, most of the talk about the shale gas boom so far has focused on what it will or won’t do for America’s energy needs. But an important side conversation is now taking place among companies that rely on this fossil fuel for other purposes.
Natural gas contains many of the vital raw materials that are used to manufacture plastics and chemicals.
The new tide of cheap natural gas has launched the petrochemical industry on the biggest building spree it has seen in many years, with many experts predicting enormous increases in production of those plastics most often used in consumer packaging and single-use products.
Read more: Why the U.S. plastics industry loves the fracking boom - Salon.com
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