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MVP Flows Full 2 Bcf/d for First Time Since Starting Last June

On June 14, 2024, the 303-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) that runs from Wetzel County, WV, to Pittsylvania County, VA, announced the pipeline had, after a decade of planning and building, finally begun to flow Marcellus/Utica molecules (see Confirmed: M-U Gas Now Flowing Through Mountain Valley Pipeline). The effect of the molecules flowing through MVP was profound and immediate, raising prices for M-U gas at the source and lowering the gas price at the destination (see MVP Lowers Gas Prices in Southeast, Raises Prices in Northeast). However, in the first month that the pipeline was online, it only flowed about half of its rated 2 Bcf/d capacity. Since then, other pipelines connecting to and taking gas from MVP have come online, gradually boosting flows on MVP. Here’s some exciting new news: Just this week, for the very first time, MVP flowed a full 2 Bcf/d (technically 1.96 Bcf/d) of yummy Marcellus/Utica gas. Read More “MVP Flows Full 2 Bcf/d for First Time Since Starting Last June”

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EQT Closes Midstream JV Deal with Blackstone for $3.5 Billion

A little over one month ago, we confirmed a rumor that we previously reported regarding EQT Corporation selling a minority stake in its newly-acquired midstream assets from Equitrans to investment firm Blackstone in return for $3.5 billion in cold, hard cash (see Reuters Was Right – Blackstone Paying EQT $3.5B for Pipeline Stake). The deal is now done as of Dec. 30. Read More “EQT Closes Midstream JV Deal with Blackstone for $3.5 Billion”

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Mountain Valley Pipeline’s Final Cost Pegged at Nearly $10 Billion

When EQT first announced it intended to build the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP), stretching from Wetzel County, WV, to Pittsylvania County, VA, the project came with an estimated price tag of $3.5 billion and an estimated completion date of 2018 (see Mountain Valley Pipeline Files FERC Appl, Now Just Matter of Time). By the time it finally began operating earlier this year (10 years later!), the estimated cost had risen to $7.85 billion (see Confirmed: M-U Gas Now Flowing Through Mountain Valley Pipeline). Except, that number was not the true final cost either. According to a recent filing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the final cost to build MVP was $9.67 billion. Read More “Mountain Valley Pipeline’s Final Cost Pegged at Nearly $10 Billion”

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Reuters Was Right – Blackstone Paying EQT $3.5B for Pipeline Stake

Just about one month ago, Reuters reported that sources “familiar with the matter” whispered to its reporters that private equity firm Blackstone is “in advanced talks” to acquire minority stakes in the interstate natural gas pipelines now owned by EQT Corp. (following its purchase of Equitrans Midstream) for a whopping $3.5 billion (see Blackstone Seeks to Buy Pipeline Stake from EQT for $3.5 Billion). The sources were right! This morning, EQT issued a press release to announce a deal for Blackstone to invest $3.5 billion in the company’s midstream (pipeline) assets. Read More “Reuters Was Right – Blackstone Paying EQT $3.5B for Pipeline Stake”

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Mountain Valley Pipe Dinged Small Fine by Va. for Erosion Violation

Antis did their best, but their best wasn’t good enough. Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) victoriously began to flow up to 2 Bcf/d of Marcellus/Utica molecules in June (see Confirmed: M-U Gas Now Flowing Through Mountain Valley Pipeline). Construction of the project, which crosses steep mountains, has not been without its challenges, chief among them erosion at some construction sites due to heavy rain. Of course, most of that erosion would not have happened if environmental groups had not sued, and had a colluding Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals not delayed completion of the project FOR YEARS. Shame on them for causing more environmental damage than building the pipeline on time would have caused. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) recently dinged MVP with another small fine ($17,500) for erosion violations. Read More “Mountain Valley Pipe Dinged Small Fine by Va. for Erosion Violation”

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EQT 3Q Boosts Price by Turning the Taps On/Off on Daily Basis

EQT Corporation delivered its third quarter 2024 update yesterday. The big focus for EQT during 3Q was closing on the purchase and beginning the reintegration of its long-lost midstream division, called Equitrans Midstream (owner of the Mountain Valley Pipeline). CEO Toby Rice said, “All cylinders are firing,” and that 60% of the tasks needed for the integration have already been done. The company produced 581 Bcfe in 3Q, which is an average of 6.3 Bcfe per day—about a half Bcf less than the new Expand Energy. EQT is now in second place on the list of top natgas producers in the U.S. It wouldn’t take much for EQT to regain the top spot if it wanted to. Read More “EQT 3Q Boosts Price by Turning the Taps On/Off on Daily Basis”

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Blackstone Seeks to Buy Pipeline Stake from EQT for $3.5 Billion

Last Friday, Reuters reported that sources “familiar with the matter” whispered to its reporters that private equity firm Blackstone is “in advanced talks” to acquire minority stakes in the interstate natural gas pipelines now owned by EQT Corp. (following its purchase of Equitrans Midstream) for a whopping $3.5 billion. The deal would help EQT reduce the debt it accumulated from buying Equitrans. Read More “Blackstone Seeks to Buy Pipeline Stake from EQT for $3.5 Billion”

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EQT Laying Off 15% of Workforce Following Equitrans Acquisition

EQT Corporation is now the #2 largest natural gas driller in the U.S. following the merger of Chesapeake Energy with Southwestern Energy to form Expand Energy Corporation (see today’s lead story). EQT took the opportunity yesterday, while everyone was focused on the shiny new object (Expand Energy), to file a Form 8-K with the SEC announcing it is laying off 15% of its entire workforce. EQT says the layoffs are a result of too many workers following the merger with its former midstream division, Equitrans, in July (see Reunited: EQT Closes on Deal to Buy Equitrans Midstream for $5.4B). So, how many employees are getting canned? We have a guess. Read More “EQT Laying Off 15% of Workforce Following Equitrans Acquisition”

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With MVP Now Flowing, Roanoke Gas Looks to Add New Customers

On Friday, June 14, Equitrans Midstream, the builder and majority owner of the 303-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) that runs from Wetzel County, WV, to Pittsylvania County, VA, announced the pipeline had, after a decade of planning and building, finally begun to flow Marcellus/Utica molecules (see Confirmed: M-U Gas Now Flowing Through Mountain Valley Pipeline). Who is buying the molecules flowing through MVP? We know of at least one company. In a separate announcement, Roanoke Gas Company (a large local utility) said it had begun to purchase M-U molecules from MVP on June 14. Roanoke Gas said for the first time since 1965, the Roanoke Valley now has access to a new interstate natural gas pipeline via two interconnections Roanoke Gas has with MVP. Roanoke Gas wants to expand its footprint and add new customers now that more gas supply is flowing via MVP. Read More “With MVP Now Flowing, Roanoke Gas Looks to Add New Customers”

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Wastewater Spill at EQT Well Pad in Greene County, PA

We spotted a report about an aboveground pipeline that flows shale wastewater that sprung a leak and released an estimated 12,600 gallons of brine (salty water from deep below the surface) on the ground in Gilmore Township, Greene County, PA. The pipeline is owned by EQM Gathering, another name for Equitrans Midstream, which is now owned by EQT. The leaking pipeline connects to the Trust Well Site owned by EQT. It sure sounds like a serious spill (12,600 gallons) with the potential to contaminate local water supplies—until you dig into the state Dept. of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) report on the incident. Read More “Wastewater Spill at EQT Well Pad in Greene County, PA”

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MVP Water Pressure Test Rupture Mystery Solved: Defective Weld

On May 1, a section of the 303-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) ruptured during final pressure testing in Roanoke County, Virginia (see Section of MVP Ruptures Near Roanoke Under Water Pressure Test). An independent metallurgical test identified a defective weld in an elbow joint as a cause of the failure. No internal or external corrosion was detected on the section, which was installed in 2018.
Read More “MVP Water Pressure Test Rupture Mystery Solved: Defective Weld”

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West Virginia NatGas Production Hits New Highs with MVP Startup

Earlier this month, MDN brought you the important news that just one month after the mighty Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) went online, natural gas production in the State of West Virginia increased more than 9% (see WV Marcellus Production Up 9.5% in One Month Thanks to MVP). We now have data for another full month of production since MVP’s June 14 startup. What does the data show? The increase in WV production remains elevated.
Read More “West Virginia NatGas Production Hits New Highs with MVP Startup”

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Pipelines to the Rescue! Delivering M-U Gas to Va. & Carolinas

Recently, we’ve told you about the coming demand for natural gas to generate electricity that data centers and artificial intelligence will need (see Big Midstream Companies Eye Data Center/AI Market for New Pipes). The left’s answer for increased power demand is to kill new data centers and ban AI (see Leftists Argue for Ban on AI Because It Uses Too Much Electricity). Here in the real world, more electricity will soon be needed in Virginia and the Carolinas for a plethora of new projects in the works. Two pipelines that flow Marcellus/Utica molecules are working hard to meet the need: Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP), now owned by EQT, and Transco (Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line), owned by Williams. Read More “Pipelines to the Rescue! Delivering M-U Gas to Va. & Carolinas”

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MVP Cuts Gas Flows for Maintenance 2 Mos. After Launching

A section of the recently completed 303-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) was shut down on Tuesday for “pigging” operations and maintenance. Certain sections of MVP have dropped to zero flows, while other sections have dropped to drastically lower flows. We’ll ask the questions no one else will: Why the heck is MVP shutting down a section of a pipeline completed less than two months ago? Is there a concern? And, is it normal for a brand new pipeline that came online within the past two months to experience an outage like this for pigging maintenance?
Read More “MVP Cuts Gas Flows for Maintenance 2 Mos. After Launching”

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WV Marcellus Production Up 9.5% in One Month Thanks to MVP

On Friday, June 14, the 303-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) that runs from Wetzel County, WV, to Pittsylvania County, VA, announced the pipeline had, after a decade of planning and building, finally begun to flow Marcellus/Utica molecules (see Confirmed: M-U Gas Now Flowing Through Mountain Valley Pipeline). The effect of the molecules flowing through MVP has been profound and immediate, raising prices for M-U gas at the source and lowering the gas price at the destination (see MVP Lowers Gas Prices in Southeast, Raises Prices in Northeast). Now comes word from S&P that during its first month in operation, MVP averaged a flow of 1 Bcf/d (out of a 2 Bcf/d capacity). However, that 1 Bcf/d has had a dramatic effect on the amount of gas production in the Mountain State.
Read More “WV Marcellus Production Up 9.5% in One Month Thanks to MVP”

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Virginia Fines MVP Another Piddly $30K for Erosion Violations

The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) slapped the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) project (which is now online) with a fine of $30,500 for violations of erosion and sediment control rules that happened during the second quarter. It is the fourth consecutive quarter in which MVP was fined by the DEQ for violations. In total, MVP has been fined nearly $100,000 by the DEQ over the past one year. Which is pretty much a nothingburger.
Read More “Virginia Fines MVP Another Piddly $30K for Erosion Violations”