Developing Large Petrochemical Facilities

Shale gas developments are transforming petrochemical industry in US and opening up tremendous opportunities for growth, particularly US Gulf Coast. The size and number of these facilities and associated investments will also pose challenges due to lack of large scale investments in the region for almost two decades. These large facilities are highly complex to plan, implement, operate, and maintain. The focus of this paper is to review the overall planning and highlight the critical resources needed for the success. Early project planning can help to minimize risks associated with schedule delays, avoid cost overruns, and ensure the safe start-up of production facilities.