Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Oct. 22, 2019)—Mountain Valley Pipeline LLC (Mountain Valley), has announced total project work will be approximately 90% complete by year-end 2019, with an adjusted in-service date of late 2020 and a revised total cost estimate of $5.3 billion to $5.5 billion.
Notwithstanding various legal and regulatory challenges during 2019, the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) project team was able to make significant construction progress. MVP's three compressor stations and three certificated interconnects are now 100% complete; approximately 80% of the pipeline work is complete, which includes 264 miles of pipe welded and in place; and approximately 50% of the right-of-way has been fully restored.
“We are pleased with our progress during the past 10 months and, despite the few remaining permitting issues, we remain confident in the regulatory process and look forward to the successful in-service of this important infrastructure project," said Diana Charletta, president and chief operating officer, EQM Midstream Partners LP, operator of MVP. "We have encountered unforeseen development challenges; however, we continue to make progress towards ultimate completion. While the temporary setbacks have caused schedule delays and cost overages, completion of the MVP project is critical to serving the growing demand for domestic natural gas in the mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions of the United States, and we appreciate the oversight of the various state and federal agencies that have helped guide our construction activities."
October 15, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a project-wide order halting forward construction progress in response to the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals order granting a stay of MVP's Biological Opinion and Incidental Take Statement issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service November 2017. Much of MVP's forward-construction work was already deferred in accordance with MVP's August 2019 voluntary suspension or had been largely winding down for the winter season.
The FERC's order directs MVP to focus on restoration and stabilization activities to protect the environment, which has been a primary focus of the MVP team in its preparation for winter, including enhancing erosion and sediment controls and continuing with restoration work.
MVP's late 2020 in-service date and cost adjustment reflects changes to the previously planned construction schedule. The project's voluntary suspension of forward-construction and inability to work in streams and wetlands prevented Mountain Valley from fully completing portions of the route and shifted more mainline work into 2020. This resequencing of work has created carrying costs and caused the use of additional time and crews needed to safely maintain the entire 303-mile route over the winter, as opposed to focusing on maintaining only unrestored sections of the route had construction been fully completed as planned during 2019.
Activities related to MVP’s construction have delivered a boost to local economies by generating additional revenue and creating jobs. And in support of communities along the route, MVP established a local giving program in mid-2017 that provides sponsorships and donations to charitable organizations and community events that focus on STEAM education (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics); environmental stewardship; civic and community development; and arts and culture. During the past two years, MVP has donated nearly $600,000 to local organizations and community associations along its 303-mile route.
Since the onset of the project more than 4 years ago, Mountain Valley has retained five key stakeholder priorities: design a route with the least overall impact to landowners and communities; minimize impacts to sensitive species and preserve cultural, historical, and environmental resources; construct the pipeline in the safest manner possible; maintain high levels of environmental protection at all times; and ensure the safety of MVP’s landowners, communities, inspectors, employees and contractors.
The MVP project team is committed to the safety of its communities, the preservation and protection of the environment, and the continued responsible construction of this important natural gas infrastructure project that will serve homes and business in the mid-Atlantic and southeast United States.
For more information, visit mountainvalleypipeline.info.