what is an ethane cracker plant
âCrackerâ is industry lingo for a plant that takes oil and gas and breaks them up into smaller molecules. An ethane cracker creates ethylene, a compound used in the manufacture of plastic. Thereâs much more ethane in Appalachia these days thanks to controversial drilling techniques known colloquially as âfracking.â.etty Images. Since Shell Chemical announced in July 2011 that it planned to build an ethane cracker in the northeast, Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia officials all did their best to woo the company to build the multi-billion dollar facility in their state.