Methane-reducing technology reduces emissions and saves enough natural gas to fuel more than 12,500 U.S. homes
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) today announced the utility had achieved a new milestone with its innovative natural gas capture system, conserving a total of more than 2.5 million cubic feet of natural gas – the equivalent to what more than 12,500 homes use each day on average in the U.S. – since first deploying the technique in August 2016. When crews perform work on a pipeline, some natural gas inside the pipe must be released for safety. Instead of being released into the atmosphere, the natural gas is captured, compressed, and reinjected back into the utility's pipeline system for use by SoCalGas customers. The innovative process reduces emissions and eliminates noise and odor that typically occur in the traditional venting process during pipeline replacement or inspection work. The methane capture technique was one of the best practices included in the utility's Leak Abatement Compliance Plan approved on October 12 by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). Photos from one of the natural gas capture projects are available here.