FERC opens review of Gulf South’s Mississippi gas storage expansion

Forrest County, Mississippi, is where the next round of scrutiny now lands for Gulf South Pipeline Company’s Petal Cavern Expansion Project. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, has set the schedule for an environmental assessment, a step that does not approve construction but helps determine whether the project can move ahead.

Comment deadline: January 21, 2027 Submit comments: https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview Effective date: October 23, 2026

The project would add a new natural gas storage salt dome cavern at Gulf South’s existing Petal Gas Storage Field, along with two brine disposal wells, brine and freshwater lines, a natural gas pipeline connecting the cavern to existing headers and an intercompany check meter.

A bigger buffer underground

The proposed cavern would hold 16 billion cubic feet in all, including 10.0 billion cubic feet of working gas and 6.0 billion cubic feet of cushion gas. That kind of storage gives pipeline systems more room to manage supply when demand jumps and falls with the seasons.

For communities and gas customers, the practical question is whether the added storage changes how reliably gas can move through the region, especially when cold snaps or other swings strain the system.

The dates behind the review

FERC expects to issue the environmental assessment on Oct. 23, 2026. Other federal agencies, and state agencies acting under federal authority, would then face a Jan. 21, 2027 deadline for their authorization decisions unless another schedule is set by federal law.

If the timetable changes, FERC said it will send another notice.

Agency: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Docket ID: CP26-127-000 CFR parts: 157 Comment deadline: January 21, 2027 Effective date: October 23, 2026 Submit comments: https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview Contact: Office of Public Participation • (202)502-6595 • OPP@ferc.gov • OPP@ferc.gov