Shale gas Still a boon to US manufacturing?

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Shale gas Still a boon to US manufacturing?
Shale gas
                                  Still a boon to US manufacturing?

December 2014

With contribution from
National Association
of Manufacturers and The
American Chemistry Council

At a glance
US shale gas development
is maturing swiftly. Its
momentous growth is not
only changing the country’s
energy mix, and affecting
energy markets globally. It’s
also giving US manufacturing
a boost through significant
cost savings and jobs creation,
according to a PwC analysis.
Introduction
                                                   Shale gas activity in the US has taken root in the last several years, and
                                                   its effects on the country’s energy mix and energy independence have
                                                   progressed beyond prognostication and shaped new realities. The ‘shale
                                                   effect’ on manufacturing, too, is taking shape—making the US a more
                                                   attractive locale due to relatively low energy and feedstock costs. This
                                                   report takes a look at what shale gas has meant for US manufacturing
                                                   and what may lie on the horizon.

                                                   The surge in shale gas production and                 So, what does this all mean for
Shale gas revisited                                consumption in the US has proven a                    US manufacturing? According to
                                                   genuine game changer on a number                      a new analysis by PwC, shale gas
                                                   of fronts including: strengthening US                 development could have the following
                                                   energy security and independence,                     impacts on US manufacturing overall:
                                                   and helping trigger a resurgence in
                                                                                                         • Annual cost savings of $22.3 billion
                                                   US manufacturing.
                                                                                                           in 2030 and $34.1 billion in 2040.
                                                   Indeed, natural gas has altered
                                                                                                         • 930,000 shale gas-driven
                                                   the energy landscape in ways few
                                                                                                           manufacturing jobs created by
                                                   would have foreseen just five years
                                                                                                           2030 and 1.41 million by 2040.
                                                   ago. Consider just a few milestones
                                                   reached in large part due to domestic                 The most likely beneficiaries in a
                                                   shale gas and oil activity. The US                    scenario of continued low natural
                                                   overtook Russia as the world’s largest                gas prices and high yields include
                                                   natural gas producer in 20101, and                    energy-intensive manufacturing
                                                   is projected to surpass Saudi Arabia                  sectors such as metals, as well as those
                                                   and Russia as the global leader in oil                sectors—most notably chemicals
                                                   production by 2015, according to the                  and petrochemicals—which use
                                                   International Energy Agency(IEA).2                    natural gas as a feedstock. This
                                                   Meanwhile, 84% of the country’s                       report highlights major developments
                                                   energy demand was met through                         in the US shale gas industry and
                                                   domestically produced energy in 2013,                 analyzes potential impacts on the US
                                                   up from 69% in 2005,3 as natural gas                  manufacturing sector.
                                                   prices in the US fell some 75% over
                                                   the same period. The US now eyes real
                                                   prospects of becoming a significant
                                                   exporter of liquefied natural gas.

                                                   1 International Energy Agency statistical database, retrieved on September 22, http://www.iea.org/
                                                     statistics/statisticssearch/report/?country=USA&product=naturalgas&year=2010.

                                                   2 “U.S. to Be Top Oil Producer by 2015 on Shale, IEA Says”, November 12, 2013.
                                                   3 “Domestic production satisfies 84% of total U.S. energy demand in 2013”, retrieved on US Energy
                                                     Information Agency. http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=16511, June 2, 2014.

1   Shale gas: Still a boon in US manufacturing?
US production surges on
Shale gas fueling                        Shale gas production has continued                        of total US natural gas production.4
America’s rise                           to rise unabated over the last several                    The EIA (US Energy Information
                                         years. With extraction of US (and                         Administration) also estimates
as global energy                         Canadian) shale-derived fossil fuels                      that shale gas represents 32% of all
powerhouse                               being carried out quickly and in high                     technically recoverable wet natural
                                         volume, shale gas persists to change                      gas in the US.5 Since 2007, shale gas
                                         the face of North American energy                         production and proven reserves have
                                         mix. Shale resources comprise 29% of                      risen steadily (see charts).
                                         total US crude oil production and 40%

                                         Figure 1: US shale gas proved reserves and production, 2007-2012
What is shale gas                        (Billion Cubic Feet)
and fracking?
                                                                               131,616                                                         10,371
                                                                                         129,396
Hydraulic fracturing (fracking) is a
technology for extracting trapped
natural gas or oil through the                                        97,449                                                           7,994
fracturing of shale rock formations
to increase the flow of the natural
                                                                                                                              5,336
gas or oil, thereby enabling greater                         60,644
amounts to be recovered. The
                                                                                                                      3,110
wells are either drilled vertically                 34,428
                                          23,304                                                             2,116
or horizontally and can be done
                                                                                                   1,293
to depths of thousands of feet.
Fractures are produced by injecting
                                           2007      2008     2009     2010     2011      2012      2007     2008     2009    2010     2011     2012
fluids (containing water, proppant
such as sand or ceramic pellets, and                     Proved Reserves                                             Production
chemicals) at high pressure into
shale fractures, which are enlarged,          Source: “US Crude Oil and Natural Gas Proved Reserves, 2012” EIA, April 2014.
                                              http://www.eia.gov/dnav/ng/hist/res_epg0_r5301_nus_bcfa.htm
then kept open by the proppant.
After the natural gas is extracted
to the surface, a ‘fracking’ fluid (or
so-called ‘flowback’ or ‘produced        Figure 2: Staying low: US natural gas prices 2004-2014
water’, a cocktail of water, sand and    Industrial prices at July of each year, (US Dollars per Thousand Cubic Feet)
the injected chemicals) then rises to
                                         16
the surface through the wellbore,
and is either treated or disposed of.
                                         12
Hydraulic fracturing requires much
more water for deeper wells than
                                          8
conventional natural gas drilling.

                                          4

                                          0
                                                   2007         2008          2009         2010       2011           2012       2013           2014
                                          Source: US Energy Information Administration database,
                                          http://www.eia.gov/dnav/ng/ng_pri_sum_dcu_nus_m.htm

                                         4 Shale oil and shale gas resources are globally abundant, January 2, 2014, EIA website,
                                           http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=14431.

                                         5 “Technically recoverable shale oil and shale gas resources: an assessment of 137 shale formations in 41
                                           countries outside the United States,” EIA, June 2013.

                                                                                                                                                        2
Eyes now cast toward                                   …and on exporting shale                                Energy infrastructure
exporting LNG…                                         gas know-how                                           build-out also likely to
Prospects of the US growing into a                     A number of countries have begun to                    benefit manufacturers
significant exporter of LNG (liquefied                 examine the production potential of                    In addition to the shale-linked
natural gas) have grown, with a                        shale formations in their countries.                   benefits to manufacturers discussed
rising pool of companies applying for                  Poland, for example, has leased out                    thus far, manufacturers could also
permits to export. The Department of                   shale lands and has drilled 43 test                    benefit from the considerable volume
Energy, Office of Fossils Energy, had                  shale gas wells as of 2013. Argentina,                 of infrastructure (e.g., machinery,
received 44 applications to export                     Australia, China, England, Mexico,                     turbines, pipes) required to meet
domestically produced LNG from the                     Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey                       natural gas demand—not only in
lower 48 states as of October 21, 2014.6               have also explored the potential in                    the US, but also in other countries—
As of October 2014, FERC (Federal                      their shale formations.9 With rising                   to ramp up their own natural
Energy Regulatory Commission) had                      global interest in exploiting this                     gas development. Manufacturers
approved four LNG export projects                      resource, exporting hydraulic drilling                 supplying products needed for the
with 14 additional LNG export projects                 know-how, technology, and hardware                     continued build-up of infrastructure
proposed to FERC.7                                     could present significant opportunities                required for the extraction and
                                                       for US energy and oil and gas services                 distribution of shale gas (not to
The timing for US exporters could
                                                       companies and manufacturers that                       mention the infrastructure needed
likely be very good. Consider that
                                                       supply them.                                           for exporting LNG in high volume)
32% of China’s natural gas consumed
                                                                                                              will likely be chief beneficiaries of
in 2013 was imported, up from 2%                       Take China’s push to build a domestic
                                                                                                              the shale gas boom. Just consider, for
in 2006, according to the EIA. The                     shale gas industry. While its natural
                                                                                                              example, that in 2013 alone, North
country, which is keen on increasing                   gas production has tripled since 2003,
                                                                                                              America constructed (or planned
its use of natural gas, presently has                  its foray into shale gas has fallen short
                                                                                                              for construction of) 41,810 miles
10 regasification terminals. In 2012,                  of expectations, despite having the
                                                                                                              of pipeline.12
it was the third-largest natural gas                   world’s highest technically recoverable
importer behind Japan and South                        shale gas reserves.10 In 2013, China
Korea. In 2013, it imported 870 billion                became the world’s third-biggest
cubic feet (Bcf) of LNG, with 2014                     natural gas consumer, following the
imports forecast to be even stronger.8                 US and Russia, and the International
                                                       Energy Agency predicts China’s
                                                       consumption will nearly double by
                                                       2019. Due to difficult geology and high
                                                       extraction costs, however, the country
                                                       recently nearly halved its 2020 target
                                                       for domestically developed shale gas.11

6 “Summary of LNG Export Applications” US Department of Energy Fossil Energy Office, website retrieved
  on November 7, 2014, http://energy.gov/fe/downloads/summary-lng-export-applications-lower-48-states.
7 FERC Authorizes Construction of Cove Point Export Project,” Docket No. CP13-113-000, FERC website,
  September 29, 2014; http://www.ferc.gov/industries/gas/indus-act/lng/lng-export-proposed.pdf.
8 “Natural gas serves a small, but growing portion of China’s total energy demand,” US Energy Information
  Administration, August 18, 2014.
9 Shale oil and shale gas resources are globally abundant, January 2, 2014, EIA website, http://www.eia.
  gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=14431.
10 “Natural gas serves a small, but growing, portion of China’s total energy demand,” EIA, August 18, 2014.
11 Orcutt, Mike, “China’s Shale Gas Bust,” August 12, 2014.
12 Rita Tubb, “Pipeline & Gas Journal’s 2013 Worldwide Construction Report,” Pipeline & Gas Journal,
   January 2013, Vol. 240 No. 1.

3   Shale gas: Still a boon in US manufacturing?
Our analysis for this report looked at                   We estimated, based on our model,
Continued low shale                                     how low natural gas prices (largely                      annual cost savings of $22.3 billion
                                                        due to increased shale gas resources)                    in 2030 and $34.1 billion in 2040,
gas prices could save                                   could translate into cost savings for                    assuming a high natural gas recovery
US manufacturers                                        US manufacturers through benefits of                     and low-price scenario were to persist13
over $22 billion                                        using natural gas as an energy source                    (see chart). Cost savings benefits could
                                                        and as feedstock for manufacturing                       potentially be higher if the elasticity of
by 2030                                                 (with chemicals industry). While                         demand is included. These potential
                                                        manufacturers could also naturally                       savings are up markedly from a similar
                                                        benefit from the incremental demand                      analysis carried out by PwC in 2011,
                                                        for products needed to extract natural                   which estimated that manufacturers
                                                        gas, this benefit was not included in                    could save up to $11.6 billion annually
                                                        our analysis.                                            by 2025 and $11.2 billion by 2035 in a
                                                                                                                 high-recovery, low-price scenario.14

                                                                                                                 In the low shale recovery case (i.e.,
Figure 3: Natural gas/US manufacturing cost sensitivity analysis                                                 50% less gas is recovered from each
Total US manufacturers estimated annual natural gas expenses under high and low
                                                                                                                 shale formation vs. the reference
shale gas recovery/price scenarios ($ billion)
                                                                                                                 case), natural gas costs for the
$70                                                                                                              manufacturing sector could increase
                                                                                                                 91% to $46.7 billion, in 2030, and by
                                                                                                   60.28         130% to $60.3 billion, in 2040.
$60
                                                                        $34.06 bil. est.
                                                                        annual savings
$50
                                                             46.66
                                  $22.33 bil. est.
$40                               annual savings

$30
                                                                                  26.22
                                             24.33

$20
            15.74

$10
          $2.75*/mil                       $4.25*/mil     $8.15*/mil            $4.58*/mil $10.53*/mil
             Btu                              Btu            Btu                   Btu        Btu
 $0
                    2012                             2030                                   2040
        High recovery/low price       Low recovery/high price        *Avg. wellhead price

Source: EIA, PwC Analysis

                                                        13 Note: To arrive at these estimates, we used the annual volume of natural gas consumed by manufacturers
                                                           from the most recent Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey (MECS) and estimates of future
                                                           wellhead gas prices under reference, low and high shale gas recovery scenarios. The most recent MECS
                                                           indicates that US manufacturers used 5,725 trillion Btu of natural gas (not including natural gas liquids, or
                                                           NGLs) during 2010 for all purposes.

                                                        14 “Shale gas: A renaissance in US manufacturing?” PwC, 2011.

                                                                                                                                                                      4
We also looked at how shale gas was                  In particular, we looked at two ways in
Shale gas spurring                                 impacting manufacturers through                      which companies describe such a shale
                                                   the lens of public disclosures by                    gas impact: 1) as a source for growth
US manufacturing                                   executives in a survey of SEC filings for            in demand for their products, and 2) as
growth                                             US chemicals, metals, and industrial                 a feedstock and/or energy benefit. Our
                                                   manufacturers. Our survey found                      analysis showed that, over the period
                                                   a continued rise in the number                       surveyed, roughly half attributed the
                                                   of companies commenting to the                       potential impact of shale gas activity
                                                   investment community about the                       on their business as a source of
                                                   potential for shale gas activity to affect           downstream demand, and about half
                                                   their business. In 2013, we found                    noted the feedstock/energy benefit
                                                   that 40 US manufacturing companies                   (see chart).
                                                   included shale gas impacts in their
                                                   public filings, up from 15 in 2011 that
                                                   we found in a previous PwC analysis.15

                                                   Figure 4: Manufacturers’ public disclosure of shale gas impact
                                                   Number of companies disclosing shale gas impact in SEC filings (2008-2013)

                                                    45

                                                    40

                                                    35

                                                    30                                                                                21

                                                    25

                                                    20                                                                        20
                                                                                                               20
                                                    15

                                                    10                                        10                                      19

                                                     5                                                                        11
                                                                                                                9
                                                                               2               5
                                                     0    1               1
                                                              2008            2009           2010             2011            2012   2013
                                                         Source of downstream demand          Feedstock/energy cost benefit

                                                    Source: Company SEC filings and PwC analysis

                                                   15 “Shale gas: A renaissance in US manufacturing?” PwC, 2011.

5   Shale gas: Still a boon in US manufacturing?
Which manufacturing                       Chemicals sector benefiting                            Power costs for US
sectors stand to                          from affordable feedstock                              industrial sector forecast
benefit most?                             Beyond recognizing the benefits of                     to remain stable
We expect chemicals and                   low natural gas prices, manufacturers                  Industrial natural gas prices have fallen
metals companies may be the               are making moves to take advantage.                    considerably over the last decade (see
greatest beneficiaries among US           The American Chemistry Council, for                    chart). Continued low-price scenario
manufacturers. Chemical companies         example, reports that as of September                  could, as our analysis indicates, hold
are benefiting from the affordable        2014, it had identified 197 chemicals                  important implications in cost savings
feedstock and low natural gas             and plastics projects (new plants,                     for manufacturers. Going forward,
prices, which are helping drive           expansions or processes) in the                        electricity costs for the US industrial
investments in expansions and new         US—tied to relatively inexpensive                      sector are forecast to increase annually
facilities by companies in this sector.   natural gas from shale formations—                     by an average of just 0.8% through
Metals companies and industrial           that are worth roughly $125 billion                    2040, when 35% of electricity is
manufacturers are benefiting from         in potential new investment. The                       forecast to be generated by gas-fired
the rising demand for products and        Council estimates that this new                        power plants, up from 16% in 2000,
equipment needed for the extraction,      investment—of which 64 percent                         according to the EIA (see chart).
distribution, storage, and processing     is from companies based outside
of natural gas. Energy-intensive          the US—could potentially create
manufacturing sectors, such as metals     over 700,000 jobs by 2023. Most of
and cement, may continue to benefit       the projects identified are aimed at
from relatively low energy prices.        increasing production of ethylene, and
                                          ethylene derivatives.16

                                          Figure 5: US electricity generation by fuel, 1990-2040
                                          (trillion kilowatt hours per year)

                                          History                      2012                          Projections

                                          6

                                          5
“Thanks to the shale
                                                                                                                                                35%
gas production boom,                                                                                                  Natural gas
                                          4
the United States is the
                                              16%                         30%
most attractive place
                                          3 9%                                                                       Renewables                 16%
in the world to invest in                                                 12%
                                              19%
chemical and plastics                                                                                                      Nuclear              16%
                                          2                               19%
manufacturing. It’s
an astonishing gain in                        52%
                                          1                                                                                    Coal
competitiveness.”17                                                       37%                                                                   32%

                                              3%
                                                                           1%                               Oil and other liquids               1%
Cal Dooley                                0
ACC President and CEO                     2000                    2010                    2020                     2030                   2040
                                          Source: “AEO2014 Early Release Overview” EIA, http://www.eia.gov/forecasts/aeo/er/early_elecgen.cfm

                                          16 “U.S. Chemical Investment Linked to Shale Gas Reaches $100 Billion,” American Chemistry Council
                                             press release, February 20, 2014.

                                          17 Ibid.

                                                                                                                                                  6
According to a PwC analysis, we                        Marcellus basin and Gulf Coast, where
Expected natural                                   estimate that the continued shale                      natural gas prices tend to be lower
                                                   gas activity in the US will translate                  because of the lower gas distribution
gas effect on                                      into new manufacturing jobs growth,                    costs. [Please note: The regression
manufacturing jobs:                                contributing 930,000 shale gas-driven                  model used to arrive at these estimates
1.41 million by 2040                               jobs by 2030 and 1.41 million by 2040.                 is the same used in our 2011 model,
                                                   These estimates are comparable to                      using estimates for natural gas prices
                                                   estimates we carried out in a 2011                     under high and low scenarios.]
                                                   study (1.31 million jobs in 2025 and
                                                                                                          We must note that these estimates
                                                   1.08 million in 2035).18 Indeed, shale-
                                                                                                          do not include possible jobs growth
                                                   driven jobs growth has already taken
                                                                                                          from likely LNG exports, the potential
                                                   root. A report from the US Conference
                                                                                                          development of which is still unclear.
                                                   of Mayors found that energy-intensive
                                                                                                          It is interesting to note, however, that
                                                   manufacturing sectors added over
                                                                                                          the American Petroleum Institute
                                                   196,000 jobs from 2010-2012 in the
                                                                                                          has estimated that LNG exports will
                                                   country’s metro areas alone, with
                                                                                                          generate between 7,800 and 76,800
                                                   inexpensive natural gas being a main
                                                                                                          net jobs between 2016 and 2035,
                                                   driver.19 We see pockets of higher
                                                                                                          mostly in the manufacturing sectors
                                                   job growth existing in the regions of
                                                                                                          tied to refining, petrochemicals,
                                                   shale gas production, particularly the
                                                                                                          and chemicals.20

                                                   Figure 6: Natural gas/US manufacturing employment sensitivity analysis
                                                   Estimated change in US manufacturing employment under high and low shale
                                                   recovery/price scenarios

                                                                                                       0.93 mil. est. benefit                1.41 mil. est. benefit
                                                                                                       to employment                         to employment

                                                         $2.75*/mil.                      $4.25*/mil   $8.15*/mil               $4.58*/mil   $10.53*/mil
                                                             Btu                             Btu          Btu                      Btu           Btu

                                                                   2010                            2030                                  2040
                                                      High recovery/low price       Low recovery/high price       *Avg. wellhead price

                                                   Source: BLS, EIA, PwC Analysis

                                                   18 “Shale gas: A renaissance in US manufacturing?” PwC, 2011.
                                                   19 “Impact of the Manufacturing Renaissance from Energy Intensive Sources,” US Conference of Mayors,
                                                      March 20, 2014.
                                                   20 “US LNG Exports: Impacts on Energy Markets and the Economy,” ICF, API, May 2013.

7   Shale gas: Still a boon in US manufacturing?
Shale gas wild cards to watch

Our estimates are based in part on                   Insufficient natural gas                             349 public natural gas filling stations
forecasts of natural gas supplies                    refueling infrastructure                             in the US (291 compressed natural
and production supplied by the                                                                            gas and 58 liquefied natural gas), a
                                                     There still exists the need for the US to
IEA. However, there exist other                                                                           pittance compared to the nation’s some
                                                     accelerate its natural gas distribution
developments and trends that signal,                                                                      120,000 gasoline filling stations.21,22
                                                     infrastructure in order for natural
or potentially could result in, reduced
                                                     gas prices to be competitive through
benefits of shale gas development                                                                         Redrawing shale gas tax
                                                     the country, rather than lower prices
to US manufacturers. Below are                                                                            policies: have energy MLPs
                                                     tending to occur in areas closest
some such developments important                                                                          reached their shelf life?
                                                     to shale gas production (i.e., the
to industry, governmental, and
                                                     Mid-Atlantic, or near the Marcellus                  Changes in tax policy could affect
public stakeholders as the shale gas
                                                     formation). Indeed, as more reserves                 capital investments in shale gas plays
phenomenon continues to unfold.
                                                     are discovered and more wells                        and alter the investment picture.
                                                     established in new regions, more                     In particular, a significant amount
Supply exceeding demand,                             manufacturing regions will stand to                  of the capital investment in shale
unrealized LNG export                                benefit through lower gas prices.                    development in the US has been
potential                                                                                                 powered by master limited partnerships
It is possible that there may be periods             Natural gas trucking                                 (MLPs), corporate structures that are
of over-supply, which could lead to                  continues to sputter                                 not taxed as corporations and which
a slowing of investment in shale gas                                                                      are exempt of corporate tax on oil
                                                     Additionally, the impacts of shale
development and a reduction in the                                                                        and gas transportation and storage
                                                     gas could be amplified if natural gas
downstream activity supporting                                                                            infrastructure.23
                                                     were to become a more common
that development (e.g., drilling
                                                     transportation fuel. So far, this is
equipment, processing infrastructure,                                                                     Environmental issues
                                                     not the case, with natural gas fueled
and transport pipes). Over-supply
                                                     trucks still comprising a tiny fraction              The environmental effect of hydraulic
could also occur if LNG exports
                                                     of the country’s fleet. Part of the                  fracturing, the process used to create
are not carried out to the degree
                                                     reason for the slow development is                   fractures in shale rock, is still being
and at the speed that is potentially
                                                     the higher price for these vehicles.                 studied. The primary area of interest
possible (as mentioned earlier in
                                                     But another more basic impediment                    is the potential for contamination of
this report). Over-supply could also
                                                     to their widespread use is the lack                  water sources from chemicals used
exacerbate the challenge of building
                                                     of fueling infrastructure. Lower                     during fracking; several states have
out infrastructure in regions that have
                                                     transportation costs through the use                 announced moratoria on the process.
yet to produce significant amounts
                                                     of natural gas trucking would likely                 Increased transparency regarding the
of natural gas (e.g., the Mid-Atlantic
                                                     benefit manufacturers through lower                  chemicals should help allay concerns.
region as it relates to the Marcellus
                                                     distribution and logistics costs. But, in            In addition, the Environmental
shale formation).
                                                     order for this to happen, there would                Protection Agency is conducting a
                                                     need to be a significant growth in the               study on the environmental effects of
                                                     number and network of natural gas                    hydraulic fracturing, which will likely
                                                     fueling stations, not to mention new                 help shape future discourse on the use
                                                     fleets of natural gas trucks and retro-              of this technology.
                                                     fitting kits. Consider that there are only

21 “Shale gas: A renaissance in US manufacturing?,” PwC, 2011.
22 “U.S. LNG Exports: Impacts on Energy Markets and the Economy,” ICF, API, May 2013
23 “Natural Gas: Tax-favored partnerships have fueled the shale gas boom—will that continue?,” E&E.com,
   May 29, 2013.

                                                                                                                                                8
The last half-decade has ushered in       However, as the industry has
Conclusion                                         a larger, and more mature shale gas       continued to grow, so has the urgency
                                                   industry to an extent that there is       for all stakeholders—government,
                                                   potential that the US industry could      environmental watchdog groups,
                                                   become a significant exporter of          regulators, educational institutions,
                                                   natural gas and the technological         and private enterprises—to ensure
                                                   expertise to develop in countries keen    that the industry grows with
                                                   on building their own domestic shale      transparency and with a vigorous
                                                   gas industries.                           pursuit toward the safety of all
                                                                                             processes and technologies deployed.
                                                   As the shale gas push in the US still
                                                                                             Certainly, the natural gas boom has
                                                   powers on, we estimate that there still
                                                                                             already demonstrated that it can be a
                                                   exists a likelihood that manufacturers
                                                                                             bona fide driver of manufacturing in
                                                   will benefit across a number of fronts,
                                                                                             the US and can help the country curb
                                                   assuming that shale gas is extracted at
                                                                                             its carbon footprint and add jobs. But
                                                   high rates and that natural gas prices
                                                                                             these scenarios will likely play out
                                                   remain relatively low.
                                                                                             only so far as the industry can ensure
                                                   We estimate 1.4 million manufacturing     environmental safety, public trust, and
                                                   jobs added and $34.1 billion in cost      common support.
                                                   savings by 2040 as a result of the
                                                                                             For the manufacturing sectors, part
                                                   benefits to manufacturing through
                                                                                             of achieving this will be continuing
                                                   relatively low energy and feedstock
                                                                                             to improve and refine the industry—
                                                   prices linked to domestic natural gas
                                                                                             by, for example, introducing
                                                   production. Investment in shale gas
                                                                                             innovations that cut water use and
                                                   development, and in manufacturing
                                                                                             mitigate air pollution. Indeed, such
                                                   sectors that benefit from that
                                                                                             innovations are already being carried
                                                   development, continues to pour in. And
                                                                                             out. By refining and improving
                                                   more companies are publicly disclosing
                                                                                             shale gas development further, US
                                                   a link between natural gas production
                                                                                             manufacturers may place themselves
                                                   as a material advantage to their
                                                                                             in a position to be even stronger global
                                                   businesses in SEC filings (40 in 2013
                                                                                             leaders in this technology, on top of
                                                   compared to 15 in 2010).
                                                                                             the benefits shale gas brings the sector
                                                                                             described in this report.

9   Shale gas: Still a boon in US manufacturing?
Natural gas/US                            Natural gas/US
Methodology   manufacturing cost                        manufacturing
              sensitivity analysis                      employment sensitivity
              This sensitivity analysis uses the        analysis
              annual volume of natural gas              For this natural gas employment
              consumed by the manufacturing             sensitivity analysis, we created a time
              sector, as well as EIA estimates of       series regression which primarily
              natural gas prices in 2030 and 2040       uses natural gas prices and a binary
              under low and high shale recovery         recession variable to predict domestic
              scenarios. The low shale recovery         manufacturing employment. We then
              scenario assumes that 50% less gas is     used the EIA natural gas recovery/
              recovered from each shale formation,      price scenario estimates described in
              which would lead to the higher price      our natural gas/US manufacturing
              estimates in the pink columns in 2030     cost sensitivity analysis to find the
              and 2040. The high shale recovery         predicted difference in manufacturing
              scenario assumes that 50% more gas is     employment under the high recovery/
              recovered from each shale formation,      low price and low recovery/high price
              which would lead to the lower price       scenarios. Our forecast is that high
              estimates in the red columns in 2030      shale extraction could result in almost
              and 2040. If we set aside elasticity of   one million extra manufacturing jobs
              demand, then the difference in annual     in the US economy by 2030 and 1.4
              natural gas costs to the manufacturing    million more by 2040.
              sector under high vs. low scenarios is
              over $22 billion by 2030.

              EIA natural gas spot prices under high
              and low recovery scenarios are in real
              (2012) dollars. All other prices are in
              nominal terms.

                                                                                             10
Robert McCutcheon                                      A special thanks to the National
Contributions to this                                  Partner, US Industrial Products
                                                       Board Member Manufacturing Institute
                                                                                                              Association of Manufacturers and The
                                                                                                              American Chemistry Council for their
paper were made by                                     and Metals Leader                                      contributions to this report.
                                                       Niloufar Molavi
                                                       Partner, US Energy Leader
                                                       Bobby Bono
                                                       Partner, US Industrial
                                                       Manufacturing Leader
                                                       Michael Portnoy
                                                       Manufacturing Analyst
                                                       Thomas Waller
                                                       US Industrial Products Director
                                                       Christopher Sulavik
                                                       Senior Research Fellow

                                                       Robert McCutcheon                                       Pamela Schlosser
To have a deeper conversation                          Partner, US Industrial Products Leader                  Partner, US Chemicals Leader
about shale gas, please contact:                       412 355 2935                                            419 254 2546
                                                       robert.w.mccutcheon@us.pwc.com                          pamela.schlosser@us.pwc.com

                                                       Niloufar Molavi                                         Michael Tomera
                                                       Partner, US Energy Leader                               Partner, US Metals Leader
                                                       713 356 6002                                            412 355 6095
                                                       niloufar.molavi@us.pwc.com                              michael.tomera@us.pwc.com

                                                       Bobby Bono
                                                       Partner, US Industrial
                                                       Manufacturing Leader
                                                       704 350 7993
                                                       robert.b.bono@us.pwc.com

www.pwc.com

© 2014 PwC. All rights reserved.“PwC” and “PwC US” refer to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, a Delaware limited liability partnership, which is a member firm of
PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited, each member firm of which is a separate legal entity. This document is for general information purposes only, and
should not be used as a substitute for consultation with professional advisors.

MW-15-0386. Rr.
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