The Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP), owned and operated by Pittsburgh-based Equitrans Midstream Corp., went into operations this week, after receiving all of the necessary regulatory approvals.
The 303-mile pipeline, which runs across West Virginia and Virginia, is designed to provide cost-effective access to natural gas for use by local distribution companies, industrial users, and power generation facilities in the mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions, where demand is growing.
The 42-inch diameter underground interstate natural gas transmission pipeline is designed to carry up to 2 Bcf of natural gas per day from the Marcellus and Utica shale production regions to these demand markets.
After getting all of the necessary regulatory approvals, including from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). MVP is now available for interruptible or short-term firm transportation service until long-term firm capacity obligations commence on July 1.
“This is an important and long-awaited day for our Nation and the millions of Americans who now have greater access to an abundant supply of domestic natural gas for use as an affordable, reliable, and cleaner energy resource,” Diana Charletta, president and CEO of Equitrans Midstream, said. “Natural gas is an essential fuel for modern life, and, as a critical infrastructure project, the Mountain Valley Pipeline will play an integral role in achieving a lower-carbon future while helping to ensure America’s energy and economic security for decades to come.”
The MVP is owned by a joint venture that includes the Mountain Valley Pipeline and Equitrans Midstream. Equitrans — a subsidiary of EQT Corp. — is also the operator of the pipeline.
“We are grateful for the ongoing professionalism and tremendous efforts of the federal and state agencies that worked tirelessly for many years to ensure MVP’s construction activities met or exceeded all applicable permitting requirements,” Thomas Karam, executive chairman, Equitrans Midstream, said.
He thanked U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), along with U.S. Reps. Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA) and Carol Miller (R-WV), for their support for this project.
“Without your efforts, we wouldn’t be here today, MVP would not be coming into service. Early on, you saw the critical need and benefits to West Virginia and to the nation. And because of that you worked for years, behind the scenes, to educate your colleagues, and to develop bipartisan support, to do something that had only been done one other time in the history of this nation. And that is to have legislation passed, determining that a pipeline is in the nation’s interest and mandating that it be completed. What an amazing feat. We wouldn’t be here today without that,” Karam said.
The MVP is now part of a network of more than 300,000 miles of interstate and intrastate natural gas transmission pipelines.
“This is such an important day because the completion of MVP is the beginning of opportunity creation, for our communities, for America, for our allies, and for the planet. For our communities, the gas that’s flowing through Mountain Valley Pipeline will create a reinvestment opportunity to fill that pipe in the billions of dollars, drilling and producing more gas in our producing regions,” Toby Rice, president and CEO of EQT, said.
The MVP was built under unprecedented regulatory oversight and followed stringent construction, safety, and environmental protocols, including the protection of threatened and endangered species, as well as cultural, historical, and environmental resources.