Innovation in the Chemical Industry: Implications and Impacts of the Post-shale World

Shale gas created euphoria within the USGC petrochemical industry, providing preferred feedstocks at advantaged prices at a time when most forecasts predicted the exhaustion of North American supplies and the death of the industry. Euphoria has given way to the hard work of completing the announced projects as market dynamics erode the economic advantage of light gas resources. The chemical industry faces new opportunities and challenges as we enter the post-shale years. Monomers are now made on-purpose, not as byproducts. Concerns over sustainability create pressure to reduce CO2 emissions and to reduce environmental impact of the plastics that are the industry’s largest products. The time is ripe for new developments in process, products and applications that will drive our industry forward in the post-shale years.