Southern California Gas Co. has temporarily controlled the flow of gas from a leaking well north of Porter Ranch that prompted thousands of residents to leave their homes in the San Fernando Valley community.
“For the first time in many, many months the community is able to breathe clean air,” said Paula Cracium, president of the Porter Ranch Neighborhood Council.
The gas leak was first detected Oct. 23 in a natural gas storage field more than 8,000 feet below the surface in the utility’s Aliso Canyon storage facility in the Santa Susana Mountains.
Nearly 16 weeks later, the Gas Co. announced Thursday afternoon that it has “temporarily” controlled the flow of gas, and was continuing to work to permanently seal the aged well.
“We have temporarily controlled the natural gas flow from the leaking well and begun the process of sealing the well and permanently stopping the leak,” said Jimmie Cho, SoCalGas senior vice president of gas operations and system integrity, in a statement.
A relief well that was drilled toward the base of the leaking well — beginning Dec. 4 — finally reached its destination on Thursday, the utility said. That had not been expected till late February.
Workers will inject cement from the relief well into the leaking well to plug it over the next several days, SoCal Gas said. A backup relief well is also still being drilled as a precaution.
“We’ll be pumping the cement down to the base of the well,” said SoCal Gas spokesman Mike Mizrahi. “That will displace the muds and the liquids and provide the permanent seal.”
After cement injection is complete, it could take a few more days for state regulators to confirm that the leaking well has been permanently sealed.
Porter Ranch residents who relocated — at the utility’s expense — because of odors from the gas leak were notified that the leak had been halted Tuesday, the Gas Co. said.
“This is a key milestone in our effort to permanently stop the leak,” an email to residents stated.
After state regulators with the California Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources confirm the leak is halted and the faulty well shut down, residents will have eight days and seven nights to return to their homes. Information on that process is posted on the utility’s website.
The monthslong leak prompted protests from residents, criticism from environmental advocates, and state and federal legislative to change regulation of such facilities.
“The controversy over this storage facility just began, quite frankly,” said Los Angeles City Councilman Mitchell Englander. “We have vintage wells. There’s wells that have erosion.”