Equitrans Midstream Corp. announced Friday that Mountain Valley Pipeline LLC (MVP), the 2 million Dth/d natural gas conduit that will move supply from Appalachia to the Southeast, has begun service.
“MVP is now available for interruptible or short-term firm transportation service until long-term firm capacity obligations commence on July 1,” according to Equitrans, the sponsor of the system.
The system’s startup on Friday came “after satisfying all applicable legal and regulatory requirements, including all applicable in-service conditions of the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s consent agreement for the project.” The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Tuesday had given the green light to move forward.
“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,” Equitrans CEO Diana Charletta 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.”
Spanning 303 miles across West Virginia and Virginia, the 42-inch diameter pipe “is designed to provide cost-effective access to natural gas for use by local distribution companies, industrial users, and power generation facilities in the growing demand markets of the mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions of the United States.”
The interstate natural gas transmission pipeline is moving supply from the prolific Marcellus and Utica shale formations to the demand markets.
“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,” Equitrans Executive Chair Thomas F. Karam said.
“In addition, we would not be commencing commercial operations were it not for the relentless advocacy and commitment of our federal and state elected officials.”
Karam gave a nod to Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV), who as chair of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee “championed and declared MVP as being critical to our energy security and national security.”
In addition, Karam acknowledged the advocacy by Sen. Shelley Capito (R-WV), as well as Reps. Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA), and Max Miller (R-OH), “who recognized the essential benefits of MVP, including reliable, affordable access to domestic energy.”
On Friday, Manchin celebrated MVP’s ramp with Karam and EQT Corp. CEO Toby Rice.
EQT in March agreed to recombine with Equitrans. MVP is poised to play an integral part in EQT’s plans to meet growing gas demand in the Southeast.
The “completion of MVP is the beginning of opportunity creation, for our communities, for America, for our allies, and for the planet,” Rice said. “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.
“We are going to be giving American manufacturing the biggest competitive advantage you can give them and that's access to affordable energy. This is a tremendous opportunity for our American manufacturers.”
MVP, Manchin said, is “essential in ensuring the nation's energy and national security and providing affordable, reliable natural gas to hundreds of thousands of Americans…In West Virginia, we have the ability to produce and to transport and be able to deliver the best, cleanest energy and technology that we have today to create more opportunities.”
