2.4.2 Petrochemical Industries 



A recent survey revealed that 622 petrochemical plants are operating 

 in the United States; 22 percent of them are located in Texas. There 

 are approximately 100 major petroleum refining and petrochemical plants 

 in Louisiana, making that state one of the principal producers in the 

 United States. A number of facilities in Louisiana are among the largest 

 of their kind in the world. The most important reason cited for the 

 growth of the petrochemical industry in Texas and Louisiana is proximity 

 to raw materials. Other factors influencing the development of this 

 industry have included the availability of existing facilities (see 

 Figure 40), transportation, labor, land, and markets [47]. 



Figure 40. Petrochemical industries, project implementation schedule. 



INVESTMENT COMMITMENTS: 



Site Purchase 



Site Option(s) Taken 

 YEARS ••• 



Acquisition of Use and 

 Location Permits 



Start of 

 Construction 



Begin 

 O Processing 

 Operations 



Operating Permits 



Preconstruction Permits 

 (Includes EIS) 



PERMIT ACQUISITIONS: 



The petrochemical industry has undergone dramatic growth 

 and profit in recent years. The most important product group 

 organic chemicals, the basic materials from which synthetic fi 

 plastics, rubber Jubricants, and hundreds of other products a 

 Petrochemical industry sales in 1970 totalled almost !^20 billi 

 one-third of the total chemical industry sales. Employment e 

 300,000 and its value-added approximated $10 billion, which is 

 twice that of the petroleum refining industry. Primary organi 

 chemicals, those whose manufacturing operations tend to locate 

 "feedstock" (raw materials) sources, had a sales value of $7.4 



194 



in capacity 

 is industrial 

 bers and 

 re made, 

 on, about 

 xceeded 



more than 

 c petro- 



close to 



billion [48], 



