Mountain Valley Pipeline cost increases as in-service date is delayed
Tuesday, November 10, 2020
Equitrans Midstream Corporation recently announced the cost estimate of the Mountain Valley Pipeline is now between $5.8 billion and $6 billion and the project isn’t anticipated to be completed until the second half of 2021, according to the Pennsylvania Business Report.
The cost of the Mountain Valley Pipeline was estimated to be $3.7 billion when construction started in 2018. However, regulatory hurdles have driven the cost up as the timeline for completion has been extended.
When it is finished the Mountain Valley Pipeline will span roughly 303 miles from northwestern West Virginia to Southern Virginia, transporting clean-burning natural gas from the Marcellus and Utica shale regions.
Learn more: Pennsylvania Business Report > Equitrans reports increased cost estimate, delayed in-service date for Mountain Valley Pipeline
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Shale FAQ
What is fracking?
Fracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing. Fracturing is a process by which highly pressurized fluid is pumped thousands of feet into the ground to fracture rock formations. The goal is to release the natural gas that’s locked inside the rock.
Is it safe?
What most concerns people about fracturing is ground water contamination. The worry is that fractures underground, caused by the process, will extending upwards and into aquifers, releasing gas and chemicals into the ground water supply. There’s been no confirmed reports of such a thing happening. Though surface spills and drill site blowouts can lead to localized environmental concerns.
Will my water catch on fire?
Flammable water is caused by the release of methane gas into a drinking water supply. Methane gas occurs naturally and can be released by any kind of drilling, including water wells. In Pennsylvania officials fined Chesapeake Energy $1 million for contaminating ground water with methane. It was determined that the company had not properly cemented it’s boreholes and gas migrated up the well, between rock and into aquifers.