SUGAR LAND--May 3, 2012--Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Capital and maintenance projects that were cancelled entirely or placed on hold indefinitely at chemical plants in the United States and Canada reached a peak in 2010, affecting projects with a combined total investment value (TIV) of $4.3 billion. This peak was reached at one of the lowest points of the Great Recession, as industrial markets around the globe stalled progress on active projects big and small to evaluate their next move and re-justify projects previously approved or deemed feasible. A couple of very large projects valued at nearly $1 billion each contributed to the sharp rise in the value of Chemical Processing Industry (CPI) in 2010, as coal-to-chemical project owners battled not only a recession, but also the economics of very inexpensive natural gas feedstock.