SoCal Gas Creates Notification System for La Goleta

The natural gas storage field at La Goleta — off More Ranch Road and landward of the Goleta Slough sandspit — can hold up to 21.5 billion cubic feet. To keep the community informed of any “reportable” event occurring there, Southern California Gas Company has begun a community notification system. The massive Aliso Canyon gas leak, which spewed an estimated 97,000 tonnes of methane into the air near Porter Ranch, prompted the alert system. At the website set up for the notification — socalgas.com/communitynotifications — residents near La Goleta can sign up to receive notice via email, text, or telephone.

SoCal Gas has been working to expand La Goleta’s capacity since about 2013. So far, Errin Briggs of the county planning’s Energy Division said, two of the anticipated four wells have been sunk for extraction of “native gas.” When exhausted of gas, the wells will add 3 billion to 5 billion cubic feet of underground gas storage to La Goleta.