Multiple Companies Consider West Virginia a site for Cracker Pla - Beckley, Bluefield & Lewisburg News, Weather, Sports

Multiple Companies Consider West Virginia a site for Cracker Plants

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Secretary of Commerce Keith Burdette said three companies are looking at West Virginia as a potential site for a cracker plant. 

Burdette said state officials are in talks with the companies.

He's signed non-disclosure agreements with all three.

Reports say Burdette discussed the negotiations Monday during an address to the Rotary Club of Charleston.

After the meeting, he said a fourth company also is interested in building a cracker plant in West Virginia. 

The plant would convert, or crack, a byproduct of Marcellus shale natural gas drilling into a widely used chemical compound.

Earlier this year, West Virginia lost a bid to attract a cracker plant that Shell plans to build.

Shell chose Monaca, Pa., as the site for its plant.

Burdette said that competition was a "warm up."