LOS ANGELES, Jan. 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern
California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) today announced that its relief well
project to stop the Aliso Canyon natural gas leak is proceeding
ahead of schedule and the company expects to stop the leak by late
February, if not sooner.
The relief well drilling began Dec. 4,
2015, and is expected to reach the bottom of the well at a
depth of about 8,500 feet below the surface next month. Once
the well is sealed, it will be taken out of service
permanently.
"Our team of experts has been working around the clock since we
started relief well operations in early December and we're pleased
with the progress we've made thus far," said Jimmie Cho, senior vice president of gas
operations and system integrity for SoCalGas. "Our top
priority remains the safety of those working on the site and of the
nearby community. We are focused on stopping the leak as quickly
and safely as possible, mitigating the environmental, and
supporting the community. Our schedule to control and stop
the leak in February is consistent with the updated plan we have
submitted to state regulators."
The most recent Aliso Canyon preliminary emissions estimates by
the California Air Resources Board (CARB) were posted Jan. 12, showing estimated emissions have
decreased more than 60 percent since CARB's peak estimates on
Nov. 28, according to the latest CARB
monitoring data. The estimated cumulative emissions released as a
result of the leak are less than 1 percent of the state's annual
total.
CARB releases rough estimates of the volume of gas leaking from
the well based on data collected during periodic flights using
monitors to measure methane. The flyover data provide an estimated
emission rate at the time the flights are conducted, and are used
to develop a rough estimate of the total methane leaked to date. As
CARB also acknowledges, a more refined estimate of the actual
emissions will be conducted once the leak is stopped and additional
data is collected and reviewed.
SoCalGas has said it intends to mitigate the environmental
impact of the actual amount of natural gas released from the
leak.
In other developments:
- The South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) released
a preliminary assessment Friday that the level of benzene risk
levels in the Porter Ranch
community, based on 24-hour samples, approximated levels consistent
with other parts of the Los
Angeles basin.
- SoCalGas said today that after extensive design and study, and
in consultation with the AQMD and other state agencies, it has
decided not to install a gas capture system at the leaking well
because of safety concerns expressed by its engineers. Design of a
gas capture system began in November
2015, with the company's engineers and consultants studying
various ways to build and install a gas capture system. However, a
design was not identified that would attain the safety level that
SoCalGas believes is required.
About Southern California Gas Co.
Southern California Gas Co. has been delivering clean, safe and
reliable natural gas to its customers for more than 140 years. It
is the nation's largest natural gas distribution utility, providing
service to 21.4 million consumers connected through 5.9 million
meters in more than 500 communities. The company's service
territory encompasses approximately 20,000 square miles throughout
central and Southern California,
from Visalia to the Mexican
border. Southern California Gas Co. is a regulated subsidiary of
Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), a Fortune 500 energy services holding
company based in San Diego.
This press release contains statements that are not
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as of the date hereof, and the company undertakes no obligation to
update or revise these forecasts or projections or other
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise.
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SOURCE Southern California Gas Co.