Keynote: Deciphering the True Life Cycle Environmental Impacts and Costs of the Mega-Scale Shale Gas-to-Olefins Projects in the United States

This paper addresses the techno-economic-environmental analysis of large-scale olefin production from shale gas in the major shale regions of the U.S. (including Appalachian, Gulf Coast, Mid-Continent, and Rocky Mountain regions) and investigates its environmental footprints. To decipher the true production costs and environmental impacts, we first develop shale gas supply and olefin production network models to estimate pipeline distances, numbers of wells, well-sites, and gathering systems needed in the near- and mid-term. Next, detailed process design, modeling, and integration methods for alternative technologies are developed. We conduct life cycle analysis (LCA) to systematically evaluate the energy–water–carbon nexus. Based on the economic and LCA results, we compare the influences of gas composition, project operating time, well lifetime, and the allocation method.