The failure of a section of the Mountain Valley Pipeline during testing earlier this year was caused by a defective weld from the pipe’s manufacturer.
That’s the finding of an analysis submitted by the company to federal regulators Thursday. The review was carried out by a third-party metallurgical expert.
The section of pipe near Bent Mountain in Roanoke County failed during pressure testing on May 1st. At the time of the failure, the pressure was greater than the normal operating pressure for the pipeline.
The company said there were no other testing failures along the pipeline’s more than 300-mile route in Virginia and West Virginia.
The pipeline went into operation on June 14th.
