PITTSBURGH — >Gov. Tom Corbett Thursday said that the Shell Oil Co.’s plan for a land-option agreement with Horsehead Corp. to evaluate the Beaver County site for a potential petrochemical complex is a major economic win for the state.

“We are still early in the process, but my administration is determined to see this project through to completion. The benefits to the state’s southwest and to all of Pennsylvania are immense,” said Corbett.

“The Shell plant would, if constructed, have the potential to be the single largest industrial investment in the region in at least a generation.”

A study by the American Chemistry Council estimated that more than 10,000 new permanent jobs would be created in chemical and supplier industries as a result of a cracker facility locating in the region.

Additionally, Shell expects 10,000 construction jobs will result from site development.