Southern California Gas Co. will use a new system to capture methane during a pipeline replacement project in West Los Angeles this coming week, company officials announced Saturday.
Instead of releasing the gas into the atmosphere, the new method will allow for it to be captured for later use. A SoCalGas official said he expects the system to capture about 190,000 cubic feet of natural gas, or roughly the equivalent of what 940 homes use per day on average.
“This methane capture system reduces emissions and helps minimize the impact of our work on the community,” said Rick Phillips, senior director of the utility’s Pipeline Safety Enhancement Plan. “We are committed to investing in our system to reduce emissions and provide safe and dependable service to our customers.”
The work is scheduled to take place Sunday and Monday on Sepulveda Boulevard between Wilshire Boulevard and Ohio Avenue. To minimize traffic disruption the work will be performed between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. Northbound lanes on Sepulveda will be reduced to one lane.
The PSEP is a multi-billion dollar program that identifies high-pressure sections of pipeline throughout SoCalGas’ system and schedules pressure tests and/or replacements.
The new system was tested last September when SoCalGas replaced a pipeline in Atascadero.
—City News Service