NorthAmOil: Mountain Valley Pipeline completed, approved to start operations

The long-delayed Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) gas pipeline was approved on June 11 to start operating.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has authorised the start of the 488-km pipeline, which has been delayed by legal wrangling for almost a decade since it was first proposed.  

“We find that Mountain Valley has adequately stabilised the areas disturbed by construction and that restoration and stabilisation of the construction work area is proceeding satisfactorily,” said Terry Turpin, director of FERC’s Office of Energy Projects.

Pennsylvania-based Equitrans Midstream Corp, the owner, had asked FERC to allow operations to start on June 11. It had finished construction of the 1,070mm diameter pipeline, the only new gas pipeline in the US Northeast in years.