Leak Found, Fixed, at Aliso Canyon

Another gas leak was discovered at Southern California Gas Co.’s Aliso Canyon facility near Porter Ranch over the weekend, but it was small and quickly patched. The leak was reported Saturday during daily well inspections. The cause was cited as a failed threaded fitting on a 3-inch pipe. The leak was considered small, presenting no risk to employees or neighboring communities, and was stopped on Sunday, according to SoCal Gas. “Personnel isolated the leak, stopping the flow of gas and repairs were made Sunday,” wrote Melissa Bailey, SoCal Gas’ media and employee communications manager, in an email to the Business Journal. “As a courtesy, state and local regulators and agencies, including L.A. City and L.A. County Fire, were contacted. Officials from the South Coast Air Quality Management District and Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources were also at the site and investigated the leak.” In October, the facility discovered a leaking well that took nearly four months to plug, spewing an estimated 80,000 metric tons of mostly methane gas into the air during that time. The leak forced thousands of Porter Ranch residents to relocate until the leak was stopped on Feb. 11.