Costs Jump for Marcellus Shale Pipe
Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) said September 24 the estimated cost of its 303-mile (487-km) project to move shale gas from the Marcellus and Utica fields has increased by some $1.1bn, to an estimated $4.6bn.
MVP, a joint venture of EQT Midstream Partners, NextEra US Gas Assets, Con Edison Transmission, WGL Midstream and RGC Midstream, said about half the cost increase stems from an extended work stoppage in August forced by court challenges from environmental opponents. The rest is the result of record rainfall in West Virginia and Virginia over the last several months, hurricane preparedness actions that interrupted construction and other unanticipated cost overruns.
With the delays and the added costs, MVP expects to complete more than 50% of the mainline by the end of this year, and to place the full 2.6bn ft3/day system in full service in 4Q 2019.