Tom Shepstone
Shepstone Management Company, Inc.   

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Shale gas exports from Pennsylvania has already saved 10,000 Scottish jobs by providing an inexpensive solution for running the refinery.

Something observed in Scotland recently speaks to just how important shale gas is to not only Washington County and Southwest Pennsylvania where the story starts, but the whole world. There was an article in The Scotsman quoting a fellow named Jim Ratliffe. He happens to be the owner of a refinery in a place called Grangemouth located in the Central Belt of the Scottish mainland in the Forth Valley.

Port of Grangemouth

Grangemouth was once a busy port. It depended on trade through the port and from the Forth and Clyde Canal. Today, the economy of this town of roughly 18,000 people is tied to a large petrochemical industry. The refinery is, reportedly, one of the largest of its kind in Europe.

What Mr. Ratcliffe told The Scotsman is this:

“Whether the Scottish politicians like it or not, the shale gas which has come from the US … has saved 10,000 jobs … and that’s 5% of the Scottish GDP. So whether they like it or not they have embraced shale gas and 10,000 people’s livelihood depends on shale gas from the USA.”

That shale gas he’s talking about comes from Washington County. It’s produced by Range Resources, shipped to the Marcus Hook facility near Philadelphia, where it’s processed, and from there is transported to Grangemouth via “big boats” (also known as “Dragon Ships”) operated by INEOS. This petrochemical company is investing $2 billion in these giants to “ship US Gas to Europe.”

Think about that. Shale gas developed in Southwest Pennsylvania is not only creating jobs and economic opportunity here, but across the big pond as well. It’s not only providing clean, inexpensive energy here at home that’s contributing to lower carbon emissions. It’s doing the same thing half a world away by through modern infrastructure investments, made by private companies, in pipelines and ships. It says a lot about the sheer magnitude of the shale revolution. It’s not just Washington County that benefits, but the entire free world.