Nova Chemicals Corp., Calgary, has started processing its first ethane supplies sourced from Marcellus shale at its Corunna, Ont., refinery and petrochemical complex (OGJ Online, Dec. 19, 2013).
The company introduced ethane from Marcellus shale at the Corunna site in late December 2013 as part of its project to revamp the Corunna cracker to utilize up to 100% NGL feedstock, Nova Chemicals said.
The introduction of Marcellus shale ethane into Corunna’s feedstock diet marks a milestone in the company’s plan to utilize nearby, cost-competitive feedstock in its Ontario operations, according to Randy Woelfel, Nova Chemicals chief executive officer.
Late in 2013, the company said it was planning several expansions and upgrades to its existing Canadian operations to take advantage of cost-competitive pricing for North American NGL feedstock, which includes an ongoing cracker feedstock conversion project at the Corunna plant (OGJ Online, July 1, 2013) that will expand the cracker’s current ethylene production capacity of 839,000 tonnes/year by 20% during 2014-18.
