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Shell Achieves Milestone At US Petrochemicals Site


Shell Chemical Appalachia LLC is currently in the midst of constructing a petrochemical site in the USA, and has revealed a significant milestone with the development of the facility.

Earlier this week (October 10th), Shell announced the installation of a quench tower at the Pennsylvania Petrochemicals Complex, which has been under construction since November 2017.

Over the last year, it has also installed two of the three reactors to be used for the polyethylene units, as well as laying 15 miles of underground pipes for drainage, firewater and cooling.

Graham van’t Hoff, executive vice president for Shell’s global chemicals business, said: “I’m delighted with the progress we’re making in Pennsylvania.”

He added: “It’s great to see our world-class complex taking shape. The project is providing more economic opportunities in Pennsylvania and the region.”

The quench tower, which was lifted into position on October 7th, represents the largest piece of equipment to be installed at the facility.

It weighs 2,000 tonnes and measures 87 metres, and to reach the site it was towed up the Mississippi and Ohio rivers for three weeks, before being transported on a road designed solely to handle the size and weight of the equipment.

Other projects that are likely to use radar gauges soon are the Map Tu Phut initiatives in Thailand.

This is after Samsung Engineering (Thailand) Co Ltd recently reported it will join forces with Mammoet to invest in the two petrochemical facilities here. These include the Propylene Oxide (PO) project, using Mammoet_Hydraulic trailers to carry oversized columns, and the Olefins Reconfiguration Project, utilising Mammoet PTC35DS cranes to move goods.