For years, leaders in West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania have touted how natural gas extracted from the Marcellus and Utica shale formations would be a game-changer for the region. The latest step in that process took place last week when Shell officially opened its petrochemical refinery in Monaca, Pa., just more than an hour from Wheeling.

The “cracker” plant, as it’s known, brings in ethane produced from natural gas wells from throughout the region and heats it to produce ethylene, which is then used to manufacture plastics, tires, and even antifreeze.

New industries that specialize in the manufacture of plastics products should soon follow now that the plant is open, as the nearby availability of raw feedstock will reduce transportation expenses.

The plant is expected to produce about 3.5 billion pounds of ethylene each year.

“When this project was first announced, (Pennsylvania) Gov. (Tom) Wolf said this would be a game-changer for Pennsylvania’s economy, and he is absolutely right,” Neil Weaver, Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development acting secretary, said. “This plant is the first of its kind in the Northeast, and represents one of the biggest investments by a company in Pennsylvania since World War II.”

The plant employs about 600 full-time employees.

The success of Shell’s plant also could be beneficial to building a second cracker plant locally.

PTT Global says it still has yet to make a final decision on a site in Belmont County at Dilles Bottom. Perhaps Shell’s success at Monaca will help spur a final decision locally from PTT.