One recent study, reported on by Marcellus Drilling News, suggests that building methanol plants would be an excellent use for the prolific natural gas production taking place in the Appalachian region.  The plants are comparatively quick to build, don’t need infrastructure such as pipelines, and use lots of natural gas to produce methanol, which is widely used.

The low price of natural gas is a concern.  Per BTU, it’s quite a lot cheaper than oil.  Finding ways to put natural gas to use should be a high priority for anyone interested in this region.  Building methanol plants sounds like one excellent solution.