A first for Britain
US shale gas arrives in UK for the first time
- The INEOS Insight, today arrived at Grangemouth near Falkirk in Scotland carrying 27,500m3 of ethane from US shale fields
- This is the first time that ethane from US shale gas has ever been shipped to the UK and represents the culmination of a $2bn billion investment by INEOS
- INEOS intends to eventually use eight of these new Dragon-class ships to provide a virtual pipeline shipping US Shale gas to Europe, as US shale gas replaces the reducing gas extracted from the North Sea
- Jim Ratcliffe, chairman and founder of INEOS, says, “This is a hugely important day for INEOS and the UK. We are very excited about the kick-start shale gas can give to British manufacturing”
INEOS has today confirmed that the INEOS Insight, has arrived at the INEOS plant at Grangemouth in Scotland carrying 27,500m3 of ethane from US shale fields.
This is the very first time that ethane from US shale gas has ever been exported from the USA to the UK. It provides British industry the chance to benefit from US shale gas economics which did so much to revitalise manufacturing in the USA.
The Insight is one of eight specially designed Dragon class ships that will form a fleet of the world’s largest ethane capable carriers.The Insight has “SHALE GAS FOR MANUFACTURING” emblazoned along its 180 metre length.
Jim Ratcliffe, chairman and founder of INEOS, says, “This is a hugely important day for INEOS and the UK. We are very excited about the kick-start shale gas can give to British manufacturing”
The project has included the design and long term charter of all eight Dragon class ships which will collectively create a virtual pipeline across the Atlantic; connection to the new 300 mile Mariner East pipeline from the Marcellus shale in Western Pennsylvania to the Marcus Hook deep water terminal near Philadelphia, together with new export facilities and storage tanks.
INEOS has invested $2bn bringing US shale gas to Europe.
To receive the gas, INEOS has built the largest ethane gas storage tank in UK at Grangemouth in Scotland.
INEOS will use the ethane from US shale gas in its gas cracker at Grangemouth, both as a fuel and as a feedstock.
Jim Ratcliffe adds, “We are nearing the end of a hugely ambitious project that has taken us five years and cost $2 billion, as we begin supply of ethane from shale to our sites in Europe. This is a world first and I am incredibly proud of everyone involved in it. I believe that INEOS is one of very few companies in the world that could have successfully pulled this off. ”
ENDS.
Media contacts
Richard Longden (INEOS) 0041 21 627 7063 or 0041 7996 26123
Mark Killick (Media Zoo) 020 7384 6980 or 07836 634449
Andrew McLachlan (Media Zoo) 020 7384 6980 or 07931 377162
Joseph Wade (Media Zoo) 020 7384 6980 or 07758 074576
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Notes to Editors
The INEOS Insight
- The Insight and her sisters are the world’s largest specifically built ethane multi-gas carriers (27,500 cbm)
- A world first with proven ethane fuel capability significantly improving efficiency and cost.
- Twin engines offering full redundancy
- Shaft generators offering reduced power needs
- As long as 2 football pitches
- You could park 15 BMW 525's side by side across the deck
- During the course of the contract, each vessel will travel the equivalent of 5 return journeys from the earth to the moon
- If the Cargo tanks were removed from one of the Dragon Ships we could carry around 5,750 Mini Coopers in the void space
Main dimensions
- Length 180 m
- Beam 26.6 m
- Depth 14.8 m
- Dead weight 20900 tonnes
The Mariner Project
- The ethane gas being shipped to Europe originates from the Marcellus Shale in Western Pennsylvania
- The Marcellus Shale is 300 miles from the nearest port
- The Mariner East Pipeline has been constructed by Sunoco to deliver ethane to the Marcus Hook facility near Philadelphia
- The pipeline has the capacity to transport 70,000 barrels of natural gas liquids per day
- The ethane will be loaded onto ships at the Marcus Hook Terminal in Philadelphia.
- The terminal is an 800 acre site on the banks of the Delaware River
- It has been an oil and gas processing site since 1902
- However, changing market conditions meant that the refinery shut down in 2012
- The INEOS Dragon ship project meant that the site could be reopened
INEOS at Grangemouth, Scotland
- Scotland’s biggest manufacturing complex
- TGE Gas Engineering constructed a 40 metre-high ethane storage tank
- This is Europe’s biggest ethane storage tank
- The roof was successfully raised on the 10th July 2015
- 60,000 cubic metre capacity
- It can store 33,000 tonnes of liquid gas
- New docks and a new pipeline network has been built to receive the gas