On February 27, 2026, Gulf South Pipeline Company, LLC (Gulf South) filed an application in Docket No. CP26-127-000 requesting a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity pursuant to Section 7(c) and 7(e) of the Natural Gas Act (NGA), and Part 157 of the Commission's regulations to construct, own, operate, and maintain a new natural gas storage salt dome cavern, two brine disposal wells, brine and freshwater lines, natural gas pipeline connecting the new cavern to existing headers, and an intercompany check meter at Gulf South's existing Petal Gas Storage Field known as the Petal Cavern Expansion Project (Project) in Forrest County, Mississippi.

On March 12, 2026, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC issued its Notice of Application for the Project. Among other things, that notice alerted agencies issuing federal authorizations of the requirement to complete all necessary reviews and to reach a final decision on a request for a federal authorization within 90 days of the date of issuance of the Commission staff's environmental document for the Project.

This notice identifies Commission staff's intention to prepare an environmental assessment (EA) for the Project and the planned schedule for the completion of the environmental review.^[1]

Schedule for Environmental Review

Issuance of EA: October 23, 2026.

90-day Federal Authorization Decision Deadline:  ^[2] January 21, 2027.

If a schedule change becomes necessary, additional notice will be provided so that the relevant agencies are kept informed of the Project's progress.

Project Description

The Project consists of the development of a new salt dome storage cavern with a total capacity of 16 billion cubic feet (Bcf), including 10.0 Bcf of working gas and 6.0 Bcf of cushion gas, increasing overall Petal Gas Storage Field (or Petal Storage Field) capacity. All Project activities will be located within the existing Petal Storage Field in Forrest County, Mississippi.

Background

On April 29, 2026, the Commission issued a Notice of Scoping Period Requesting Comments on Environmental Issues for the Proposed Petal Cavern Expansion Project (Notice of Scoping). The Notice of Scoping was sent to affected landowners; federal, state, and local government agencies; elected officials; environmental and public interest groups; Native American tribes; other interested parties; and local libraries and newspapers. On May 13, 2026, the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Historic Preservation commented that they have reviewed the associated cultural resources assessment and additional information and concur with the finding of “no historic properties affected”. ( printed page 36826)

All substantive comments received will be addressed in the EA.

Additional Information

In order to receive notification of the issuance of the EA and to keep track of formal issuances and submittals in specific dockets, the Commission offers a free service called eSubscription. This service provides automatic notification of filings made to subscribed dockets, document summaries, and direct links to the documents. Go to https://www.ferc.gov/​ferc-online/​overview to register for eSubscription.

For public inquiries and assistance with making filings such as interventions, comments, or requests for rehearing, contact the Office of Public Participation at (202)502-6595 or OPP@ferc.gov.

Additional information about the Project is available from the FERC website ( www.ferc.gov). Using the “eLibrary” link, select “General Search” from the eLibrary menu, enter the selected date range and “Docket Number” excluding the last three digits ( i.e., CP26-127-000), and follow the instructions. For assistance with access to eLibrary, the helpline can be reached at (866) 208-3676, TTY (202) 502-8659, or at FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov. The eLibrary link on the FERC website also provides access to the texts of formal documents issued by the Commission, such as orders, notices, and rule makings.

(Authority: 18 CFR 2.1)