A new partnership aimed at exploiting North America’s growing shale gas production has come into being. Bechtel Corporation (San Francisco, California / USA; www.bechtel.com) has joined hands with Germany’s Linde (Munich; www.linde.com) with the goal of expanding and building ethylene cracker plants in North America. The partnership will bring together Bechtel’s engineering, procurement and direct-hire construction capabilities with Linde’s ethylene technology. “Together we shall offer the most competitive ethylene solutions to the North American petrochemical industry,” said Linde executive board member Aldo Belloni.

The two companies have already worked together in the past, collaborating on Borouge’s (Abu Dhabi / UAE; www.borouge.com) petrochemical complex. In fact, Linde has been involved in all three Borouge crackers in the UAE – see also Plasteurope.com of 04.06.2010.

“With the growth in shale gas production in North America, ethylene producers are planning new grass-roots projects and major expansions, and they need a world-class team to deliver them. The agreement between Bechtel and Linde creates that team,” said Jack Futcher, president of Bechtel’s Oil, Gas and Chemicals division. The new team will serve the North American market from Bechtel’s offices in Houston, Texas.