Feb 18, 2016
The California Department of Conservation, Division of Oil and Gas, announced that the Aliso Canyon leak has been permanently sealed. The leaking well has been taken out of service.
Porter Ranch gas leak permanently capped, officials say | Los Angeles Times
Feb 2, 2016
The Count of Los Angeles filed a lawsuit (four misdemeanor criminal charges) against Southern California Gas Co. accusing it of releasing air contaminants and failing to report the release until three days after the leak began.
L.A. County files criminal charges over Porter Ranch gas leak | Los Angeles Times
Jan 26, 2016
The South Coast Air Quality Management District filed a lawsuit against Southern California Gas Co. accusing the company of negligence in design, construction, operation, and inspection of the leaking well at the Aliso Canyon Natural Gas Storage Facility. The lawsuit also accuses Southern California Gas Co. of violating air quality regulations and state law, seeking civil penalties up to $250,000 for each day that a specific violation occurred, as well as blaming the utility for a sluggish response to the gas leak.
Source:
Hamilton, Matt. (January 26, 2016). "Negligence by Southern California Gas Co. led to massive Porter Ranch-area gas leak, AQMD says". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2016-03-08.
Jan 6, 2016
California Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in response to the leaking Southern California Gas Co. (SoCal Gas) methane well in Aliso Canyon near the Porter Ranch neighborhood of Los Angeles. Brown also ordered new inspections and safety regulations for all natural gas storage facilities in California including:
- daily inspections of wellheads using infrared leak-detection technology
- mechanical well integrity verification
- gas flow and pressure measurement
- regular safety valve testing
- risk management plans (drafted by each facility) including the examination of the corrosion potential of pipes and other safety threats
Source:
Barboza, Tony. (January 4, 2016). "Brown declares state of emergency at Porter Ranch amid massive gas leak". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2016-01-12.
Dec 6, 2015
In response to orders from the L.A. County Department of Public Health, SoCal Gas is temporarily relocating hundreds of people living in Porter Ranch to hotels and other temporary housing until the gas leak is repaired.
Attempts by SoCal Gas to plug the leaking well by pumping fluid into the well have failed. Now, SoCal Gas plans to drill a relief well, which could take up to four months to complete.
SoCal Gas said it has not determined what caused the leak.
SoCal Gas said it takes weekly pressure readings and conducts annual inspections of all wells. The leaking well was last inspected in October of 2014 and "showed no anomalies".
According to a SoCal Gas spokesman, the leaking well was installed in 1953, it extends 8,500 feet below the surface, and it is one of 115 storage wells at the 3,600-acre Aliso Canyon facility. The facility can hold 86 billion cubic feet of natural gas, enough to supply all of Southern California for more than a month.
The California Air Resources Board reported that the leak is releasing about 50,000 kilograms of methane per hour, increasing California's daily emissions of methane (a greenhouse gas) by 25%.
Source:
Parvini, Sarah; Barboza, Tony. (January 6, 2016). "SoCal Gas relocates hundreds of Porter Ranch residents while trying to fix leaking well". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2016-01-12.
Oct 23, 2015
Southern California Gas Co. (SoCal Gas) detected a methane gas leak in a well at its Aliso Canyon facility in the San Fernando Valley near the Porter Ranch neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.
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