Saudi Arabia’s Sabic Considering Shale Gas Investments in U.S.

Saudi Basic Industries Corp., the world’s second-biggest chemicals manufacturer, plans to expand investment in U.S. shale gas projects through joint ventures, according to acting Chief Executive Officer Yousef al Benyan.

Sabic, as the company is known, signed an agreement with Houston, Texas-based Enterprise Products Partners L.P. to get shale gas, al-Benyan said in an interview in Riyadh. The company may use the feedstock in the U.S. or export it to other countries such as the U.K., he said. Sabic has converted crackers at U.K. plants to use shale gas as feedstock to produce olefins and their derivatives more competitively.