Developers for a massive petrochemical plant have their eyes on San Patricio County, KristTV.com, a news station based in Corpus Christi, reported.
Exxon Mobil and the Saudi Basic Industries Corp., known as SABIC, have selected 1,400 acres for the joint venture, an area just beyond the boundaries of two cities, Portland and Gregory.
The $10 billion plant would create an estimated 11,000 construction jobs and 600 permanent positions, and generate millions of dollars in property taxes for the county and school district, the Houston Chronicle reported. Furthermore, Exxon is currently seeking tax incentives in the area of development. The consortium selected the site because of its access to cheap and abundant natural gas from Texas shale fields, as well as the proximity to ports, railways and highways. The complex would reportedly include the world's largest ethane cracker, which turns a component of natural gas into ethylene, the primary building block of most plastics, as well as other plastics manufacturing operations.
The plant could come online as early as 2021.
