A coating condition survey (ACVG) of a newly constructed pipeline revealed unexpected external metal loss following only four (4) months of soil exposure - prior to pipeline commissioning. Analysis of the pipeline environment and surrounding facilities identified induced AC voltage and AC influenced corrosion as a primary contributor to the observed metal loss rate of up to 7mm/year. A variety of aboveground indirect inspection techniques were employed in conjunction with an in-house AC corrosion model to define a limited scope excavation program that was used to confidently validate pipeline integrity prior to line fill. These results will be correlated to in-line inspection metal loss data following pipeline commissioning.