Shell could sell U.S. chemicals division for $8 billion as it refocuses on oil and gas

A Shell fuel tanker truck – Credit: K.D.P / DepositPhotos – License: DepositPhotos

Shell has attracted interest from several potential buyers for its chemical business in the United States, according to the Financial Times. Among those reportedly considering a deal are ExxonMobil, LyondellBasell and investment firm Apollo, sources told the newspaper. Shell could raise around $8 billion by selling its U.S. chemical assets, the Financial Times reports. However, the company has not yet decided whether it will proceed with a sale.

Several potential buyers have already made preliminary offers, either for the division as a whole or for individual parts of the business. Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, the state-owned Kuwaiti oil company, is also said to be among those interested.

Shell operates four chemical plants across Louisiana, Texas and Pennsylvania, producing chemicals used in a range of products, including plastics, medicines and cleaning agents. One of its largest facilities is the Monaca plant in Pennsylvania, which can produce up to 1.6 million tons of polymers each year.

A $8 billion sale of the entire chemicals division would represent a substantial shortfall compared with Shell’s previous investments in its U.S. chemicals business, the newspaper reports.

The potential sale comes as Shell increasingly focuses on its core oil and gas operations. The company made its biggest acquisition in more than a decade earlier this year, paying $13.6 billion for Canadian oil and gas producer ARC Resources.

Shell, ExxonMobil and Apollo declined to comment when contacted by the Financial Times. LyondellBasell and Kuwait Petroleum did not respond to the newspaper’s questions.

The potential sale would not cover all of Shell’s U.S. operations, as the company also owns offshore drilling platforms and oil refineries in the country.

https://nltimes.nl/2026/08/24/shell-sell-us-chemicals-division-8-billion-refocuses-oil-gas