Abandonment-in-place proposed for 50 miles of buried pipeline across Texas
By Mary Holcomb, Lead Digital Editor
(UI) — Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company has asked federal regulators for approval to abandon roughly 50 miles of interstate natural gas pipeline in South Texas, triggering a formal environmental review process by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
In an application filed in October, Transco requested authorization under Section 7(b) of the Natural Gas Act to abandon facilities associated with its North Padre Island Lateral Abandonment Project. The proposal covers approximately 50 miles of 24-inch-diameter transmission pipeline and related facilities across Brooks, Jim Wells, Kenedy and Kleberg counties, Texas.
FERC said it will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) for the project, with the document scheduled for issuance on April 22, 2026, followed by a 30-day public comment period. Federal agencies would then have until July 21, 2026, to complete permitting decisions tied to the project.
According to the filing, most of the pipeline — about 45 miles — would be abandoned in place, including segments that cross the Padre Island National Seashore and extend into the Gulf of America. Roughly 5 miles would be removed, primarily at highway and railroad crossings, as well as areas managed by the Texas General Land Office.
The project also includes the abandonment of a non-jurisdictional dehydration and storage facility known as Station 14 in Brooks County.
Transco said the abandonment would “eliminate costs and risks associated with maintenance of these facilities,” according to its filing.
FERC previously conducted a scoping process for the project, during which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Park Service submitted comments. EPA asked the commission to examine air and water quality impacts, while the National Park Service requested involvement in the review related to facilities on federal lands. FERC said all substantive comments will be addressed in the EA.
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