California official: Massive LA-area gas leak could be capped in a week

[webfact]

Official: Massive LA-area gas leak could be capped in a week
By BRIAN MELLEY

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A California official outlined a plan Thursday to cap the massive Los Angeles-area gas leak by the end of next week.

Wade Crowfoot, an adviser to Gov. Jerry Brown, told residents of Porter Ranch that the final phase to intercept the ruptured well should start Monday. It is then expected to take another five days to permanently seal the Southern California Gas Co. well that began leaking in October.

The announcement at a public meeting is ahead of the company's worst-case prediction that it would be plugged by the end of the month. The well has been leaking for 15 weeks.

The blowout at the largest natural gas-storage facility in the West has uprooted thousands of residents and spewed more than 2 million tons of climate-changing methane.

Residents have complained of headaches, nausea, nosebleeds and other symptoms. Public health officials blame the woes on an odorant added to the gas and said there shouldn't be long-term health problems.

SoCalGas said it paid $50 million to try to cap the leak and relocate people through December, but it hasn't given an update since on the costs. The number of relocated families has since soared to 4,400 residents, and the company is facing more than two dozen lawsuits from residents and several public agencies.

The company was charged this week by the Los Angeles district attorney with misdemeanor criminal charges for failing to let state emergency officials know about the leak for three days after it was detected Oct. 23.

Several state agencies have ordered the company to plug the leak and are investigating its cause.


-- (c) Associated Press 2016-02-05

[SOTIRIOS]

...........or else.........

[ehs818]

There are a million and a half people living directly beneath that leak. Can't imagine how bad that smells and the health risks!!

[Scott]

Methane is an odorless gas.

[Ulic]

Cap it or pay a substantial daily fine. Say 50 million per day.

[lordpeps]

blamed on the odorant? since when do they add odorant at the wellhead? A leaking one at that.

[Gulfsailor]

blamed on the odorant? since when do they add odorant at the wellhead? A leaking one at that.

The leak is at an underground storage facility. The gas itself came from Texas and the Midwest. The smelly stuff is added before being transported via pipeline to California.

[SoiBiker]

Set light to it, and call it a tourist attraction.

[Tywais]

Methane is an odorless gas.

In its native state, natural gas is odorless, colorless and tasteless. Mercaptan, the harmless chemical that is added to natural gas, contains sulfur, which makes it smell. Many people describe the odor of mercaptan as similar to rotten eggs.

http://www.safegas.org/about/about.html

[TheKnave]

Methane is an odorless gas.

Not when infused with methyl mercaptan, the odorant usually used so that leaks are readily detected. The 'well' referred to is actually a storage site, and the gas is already treated.

Said Mr.Redundant, who should have read the entire thread before frantically interjecting...

Sorry...

[lordpeps]

blamed on the odorant? since when do they add odorant at the wellhead? A leaking one at that.

The leak is at an underground storage facility. The gas itself came from Texas and the Midwest. The smelly stuff is added before being transported via pipeline to California.

makes sense to me now, seems like everytime i read an article about this leak, they just call it a well