California regulators said on Jan. 17 they were seeking public comment on a proposal that would significantly limit the amount of natural gas Southern California Gas can inject into its Aliso Canyon storage facility in Los Angeles, which leaked in 2015.
SoCalGas, a unit of California energy company Sempra Energy, shut the facility in October 2015 after a massive methane leak forced the evacuation of thousands of people in the Porter Ranch section of Los Angeles. The utility asked regulators for permission to start injecting gas into the cavern, its biggest, last November.
Regulators from the Department of Conservation's Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR) and the California Public Utilities Commission completed their review of the safety of wells at the facility and will hold two public meetings in Woodland Hills on Feb. 1 and 2.
"A decision about whether injection of gas into the storage field can resume will not occur until the surrounding communities and concerned public have an opportunity to weigh in," said State Oil and Gas Supervisor Ken Harris.
On its Facebook page, Save Porter Ranch, a local group seeking to shut the Aliso Canyon facility, urged residents to contact politicians and tell them to keep it closed, saying, "Aliso will never be safe" and "We are still getting sick."
Regulators proposed to limit gas storage in the facility to a maximum of 29 billion cubic feet (Bcf). Aliso Canyon can hold up to 83 Bcf, according to DOGGR.
Regulators also proposed requiring SoCalGas to keep a minimum of 15.4 Bcf in the facility to ensure there is a reserve available during extreme weather.
The facility currently holds 15 Bcf, which the utility can use to minimize the risk of gas shortages that could result in electricity outages.
To date, 34 wells at the facility have passed the state's six safety tests, and another 79 have been taken out of service. These wells have one year either to pass all tests or be permanently plugged, DOGGR said.
One well is currently undergoing testing.
The only wells eligible for injection have new steel tubing and a seal between the tubing and outer casing, DOGGR said.
In the past, Aliso Canyon was able to deliver up to 1.9 Bcf per day, but with just 15 Bcf in storage, it can deliver only about 0.88 Bcf/d, according to state reports
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