STATE OF CALIFORNIA
PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION

Central Valley Natural Gas Storage Project

Background

Central Valley Gas Storage, LLC (Central Valley) has filed an application with the CPUC to construct the Central Valley Natural Gas Storage Project located near the unincorporated town of Princeton in Colusa County. The CPUC is the CEQA lead agency.

Central Valley proposes to convert, construct, and operate the depleted Princeton Gas Field as a natural gas storage facility. The conversion of the depleted gas field will require the construction of surface and subsurface facilities including a compressor station, remote well pad site, observation wells, metering station, and natural gas connecting pipelines. The project includes construction, operation, and maintenance of the following components:

• Princeton Gas Storage Field (natural gas storage reservoir)



• Surface facilities including
  
  
  • Compressor station and associated facilities on a 10-acre site (including the installation of an approximate 3,500-foot-long electrical distribution line that would connect the compressor station to an existing 12 kV Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) line)
  
  
  
  • Remote well pad site on a 3.1-acre site that includes up to ten injection/withdrawal wells and a 130,000 -gallon saltwater storage tank
  
  
  
  • Saltwater disposal well (the existing Central Valley test well will be converted to a saltwater disposal well and connected to the remote well pad by a 800-foot-long, 6-inch water drain pipeline)
  
  
  
  • Observation wells (involves conversion of up to three existing wells, drilling one new well, and re-entry into one plugged well)
  
  
  
  • Metering station on a 1-acre site near PG&E Line 400/401
  
  
• Natural gas connecting pipelines including
• A 1,950-foot-long, dual 16-inch gathering line system to connect the injection/withdrawal wells to the compressor station



• A 170-foot-long, 8-inch gas pipeline, and use of a meter skid and rental compressor unit for a temporary connection to PG&E Line 172



• A 14.7-mile-long, 24-inch diameter gas pipeline, which would connect the compressor station to the metering station plus a 580-foot interconnect from the edge of the metering station to PG&E Line 400/401.

The project would provide natural gas storage by injecting natural gas into the Princeton Gas Field, a depleted natural gas reservoir located approximately 2,200 feet underground. The natural gas would then be withdrawn according to customer demand. Central Valley proposes to inject into the Princeton Gas Field 9 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of natural gas in the first year of service (an ultimate working gas capacity of 11 Bcf will be phased in over two years).

The proposed project would be located in northeastern Colusa County, approximately 60 miles northwest of Sacramento.  (See Regional Map). The compressor station and remote well pad site would be located near Princeton, and the PG&E Line 400/401 connecting pipeline would travel west from the compressor station to the metering station, interconnecting with PG&E Line 400/401 several hundred feet south of PG&E’s Delevan compressor station. (See Project Location Map). 

Application and Proponent's Environmental Assessment (PEA)

Other Documents Available

The Applicant provided Supplemental CEQA Mitigation Information that is available here. (November 30, 2009)

Commission Decision

The Commission’s decision will be posted here when available.

Construction Progress and Mitigation Monitoring

Reports issued by the CPUC, reports on construction progress, and reports issued as part of the Mitigation Monitoring Program will be published here, when available.

For Additional Information

The CPUC, through its Environmental Review Team, is conducting an environmental review of the project. To request additional information or to be added to the mailing list, please contact us by email, fax, or phone, as follows:

Project email: cvgs@dudek.com
Project fax and voicemail: (800) 371-8962

The CPUC's Project Manager is:

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