Brazilian oil and petrochemicals group Braskem has secured an agreement with U.S. oil and gas producer Antero Resources for supply of ethane feedstock to the Ascent (Appalachian Shale Cracker Enterprise) project at Parkerburg in the U.S. state of West Virginia.

The facilities planned, including a cracker and three polyethylene plants, would be officially built by Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht, Braskem's largest shareholder, with Braskem handling commercialization. A multi-year feasibility analysis is currently in progress.

Antero, a Denver, Colorado-based independent exploration and unconventional gas production company, would provide 30,000 barrels/d of ethane, nearly half the cracker' total daily requirement.

The company holds more than 352,000 net acres in the southwestern core of the Marcellus Basin shale area in the state of Pennsylvania and over 107,000 net acres in the core of the Utica shale area in upstate New York.