Deputy Energy Secretary Menezes pays visit to proposed Ohio petrochemical complex

U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy Mark Menezes traveled to Eastern Ohio this week to tour the proposed Ohio Petrochemical Complex Project, attending a roundtable discussion and listening session while he was there.

The project is under development by PTT Global Chemicals, which is eying a site in Belmont County. That site was chosen due to its location on the Marcellus and Utica shale region and for its ease of access to major transportation routes. The company estimates the complex could produce ethylene and its derivative at around 1.5 metric tons per year.

Environmental reviews by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency have already been completed and permits provided. Still, a final investment decision has not been made.

Menezes met with state and local officials, community members, and industry stakeholders while on-site to learn more about the project. The Trump administration has been in full support; however, as part of a larger push for the development of Appalachia’s natural gas resources as a means of economic development. The Ohio Petrochemical Complex Project would be one of the largest economic development projects in the region’s history if completed.