TITUSVILLE, Pa. (EYT) — A forum for employers on the Shell Petrochemical/Cracker Plant will be held on Wednesday, March 8, at the Cross Creek Resort in Titusville.

The Northwest Pennsylvania Oil and Gas Hub Taskforce is hosting the presentation, “Regional Impact of the Petrochemical/Cracker Plant on Western PA: Opportunities for Manufacturing, Entrepreneurs and Education.”

The event will be held from 9:00 a.m.to 4:00 p.m. with registration at 8:00 a.m.

Organizers say the plant, which is being built in Monaca in Beaver County, is expected to have a major economic impact on western Pennsylvania for many years.

The site sits on 300 acres where an 80-year-old zinc plant was located.

Shell estimates construction will begin in about a year with 6,000 temporary construction workers while it’s being built, and 600 permanent, full-time employees to operate the facility once it is built.

Simply put, cracker plants break down gas compounds into other elements. The facilities can cover hundreds of acres and bring thousands of new jobs.

This kind of development, referred to as petrochemical development, typically comes as the third phase of a drilling boom after extraction and processing.

Image courtesy of Shell Chemical.

The information session will give employers and organizations the chance to learn about the economic and educational impact from the experiences at Louisiana’s plants.

Presenters include Louisiana leaders in industry, economic development, and education and others from the oil and gas industry who will provide updates on progress within the industry.

The cost is $65.00 per person or $50.00 per person if two or more are from the same company.

Sponsorships are also available.

– $2500.00 Gold Sponsor: 4 VIP passes, inside exhibit space, logo on all printed material for the event, inclusion in all pre-event and post-event press releases

– $1250.00 Silver Sponsor: 2 VIP passes, inside exhibit space, logo on all printed material for the event, inclusion in all pre-event and post-event press releases

– $1500.00 “Speaker” Sponsor: Present speaker, 2 VIP passes, inside exhibit space, logo on all printed material for the event, inclusion in all pre-event and post-event press releases.

To register, go to www.regonline.com.

For more information, contact Lance J. Hummer at the Keystone Community Education Council at lhummer@keystonecec.org.