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Permalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on March 14, 2016 at 2:16

Mariner East 1 pipeline now delivering Marcellus Shale gas to the world

By Candy Woodall | cwoodall@pennlive.com  updated March 11, 2016 at 6:26 PM pennlive.com

The drillers who blasted through bedrock during Pennsylvania's Marcellus Shale boom unleashed stockpiles of energy that are now being delivered to bigger markets.

Sunoco Logistics Partners announced today that its Mariner East 1 pipeline is now carrying both ethane and propane from Washington County shale fields to the Marcus Hook Industrial Complex in Delaware County.

"Mariner East 1 is an important milestone for the natural gas and manufacturing industry in Pennsylvania," said Sunoco Logistics CEO Michael Hennigan.

With Mariner East 1 up and running, Marcus Hook is now positioned as the East Coast hub for processing and storing propane, ethane and other natural gas liquids, and then distributing them to local, U.S. and international markets, he said.

The pipeline can transport 70,000 barrels of ethane and propane per day. It started moving propane in December 2014 and ethane last month. This week, the first tanker carrying ethane to European markets departed from Marcus Hook.

The jobs that Marcus Hook lost when the refiner shutdown will not be coming back in a wave. But once again there is optimism.

From the renaissance at Marcus Hook to moving shale gas to local manufacturers, Sunoco Logistics is making a $3 billion investment into Pennsylvania's energy economy, Gov. Tom Wolf said.

"The opening of the Mariner East pipeline represents a vital first step in redirecting Pennsylvania's abundant natural gas resources to critical markets here at home," he said.

This development is creating 290 to 440 permanent jobs, Wolf said.

Mariner East is a huge boon to the local labor pool, according to John Dougherty, business manager of the Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council.

"This kind of development creates real jobs, giving Pennsylvanians the chance to get ahead, instead of falling behind," he said.

U.S. Sens. Bob Casey and Pat Toomey also issued statements cheering the pipeline for creating Pennsylvania jobs in manufacturing, engineering and operations.

Perhaps the biggest boost will be in Delaware County, where Marcus Hook has revitalized an antiquated industrial complex.

Sunoco's announcement this week is a game changer for the borough, according to Marcus Hook Mayor Gene Taylor.

"Today's announcement is another step in the ongoing rebirth of Marcus Hook, whose heritage is tied to this facility. Our history and identity has always been an energy town. Now, our future is too."

And there's more: Mariner East 2, a parallel line running from Ohio, West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania to Marcus Hook, is slated to be complete during the first half of next year.

It will be able to carry 275,000 barrels a day of propane and butane from the Marcellus and Utica shales, and could be expanded to carry 450,000 barrels a day.

"Mariner East 1 is the starting point. Mariner East 2 presents the opportunity to fully realize those benefits," Hennigan said.

 

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