SoCalGas’ Innovative Optical Pipeline Safety Monitoring System Set to Expand After Successful Pilot Program

Realtime data on over 50 miles of pipeline can detect potential for third-party intrusions before they occur, leading to proactive mitigation or prevention of damage to infrastructure. The company plans to expand this innovative use of optical monitoring technology to applicable new and replacement pipeline segments.

Sep 6, 2023

As technology continues to evolve, so does SoCalGas’ ability to apply new technology to advance its mission to build the cleanest, safest, and most innovative energy infrastructure company in America. Highlighted in this year’s Corporate Sustainability Report, one of the technologies successfully being deployed involves utilizing optical cables that can detect real-time underground changes in temperature, movement, and vibration. To study the potential application of this technology, SoCalGas launched the first fiber optic testing facility in the United States in Pico Rivera in 2017 and has used the program to demonstrate how around-the-clock-monitoring can allow for early leak detection caused by unauthorized construction work as well as other shifts in the landscape.

“The ability to anticipate and guard against unknown hazards is foundational to driving resilient operations and this monitoring technology highlights the newest advancements in pipeline safety,” said Gina Orozco, Vice President, Gas Engineering and System Integrity at SoCalGas. “While these safety enhancements have not been mandated by the state, our implementation of this cutting-edge safety technology not only benefits our employees and contractors, it also allows for proactive responses in the communities we serve.”

workers laying cable in a trench

The Optical Pipeline Safety Monitoring System (OPM) sends pulses of light the thickness of a human hair through glass that can be measured inside the optical cable. When installed along a pipeline, the technology can detect vibrations, stress, or abnormal changes in temperature to within 20 feet of where a problem may be developing. The information is sent through the optical cable to a monitoring station within seconds, where operators interpret the signal changes to determine whether the source of potential intrusions is from heavy equipment operations, unexpected earth movement, or other potential impacts like structural stress from broken water mains.

In one monitoring instance, the optical technology was able to detect and provide advanced notice of potential intrusions on a pipeline trench under a creek bed due to heavy rainfall. After multiple rounds of storms, the technology allowed crews to detect erosion several days in advance and create proactive mitigation plans that would not have been possible without the early warning. Currently, the Optical Pipeline Monitoring System is actively installed on 8 miles of pipeline in SoCalGas territory and 43 miles of pipeline in San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) territory, with plans to expand installation to applicable new and replacement pipeline segments 12 inches and greater in diameter and at least one mile long.

workers pouring concrete into trench

This exciting new OPM technology is just one part of SoCalGas’ Control Center Modernization (CCM) program, a key component of its “Evolving Our Infrastructure” efforts that allow the company to better manage its infrastructure. CCM is also constructing a state-of-the-art gas control and emergency management center and deploying innovative technologies across our pipeline system.

SoCalGas is a leader in sustainability, having been among the first and largest natural gas utilities in the United States to announce its aim to have net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. The company was awarded the top “Business Transformation Award” at Reuters Events’ 2022 Responsible Business Awards for having established truly transformative sustainability priorities with the potential to create impact at scale in the energy sector and beyond.

 

About SoCalGas
SoCalGas is the largest gas distribution utility in the United States, serving more than 21 million consumers across approximately 24,000 square miles of Central and Southern California. Our mission is: Safe, Reliable, and Affordable energy delivery today. Ready for tomorrow. SoCalGas is a recognized leader in the energy industry and has been named Corporate Member of the Year by the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce for its volunteer leadership in the communities it serves. SoCalGas is a subsidiary of Sempra (NYSE: SRE), a leading North American energy infrastructure company. For more information, visit SoCalGas.com/newsroom or connect with SoCalGas on social media @SoCalGas.

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Factors, among others, that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statement include: decisions, denials of cost recovery, audits, investigations, inquiries, ordered studies, regulations, denials or revocations of permits, consents, approvals or other authorizations, renewals of franchises, and other actions, including the failure to honor contracts and commitments, by the (i) California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Internal Revenue Service and other regulatory bodies and (ii) U.S. and states, counties, cities and other jurisdictions therein where we do business; the success of business development efforts and construction projects, including risks related to (i) completing construction projects or other transactions on schedule and budget, (ii) realizing anticipated benefits from any of these efforts if completed, (iii) obtaining third-party consents and approvals and (iv) third parties honoring their contracts and commitments; changes to our capital expenditure plans and their potential impact on rate base or other growth; litigation, arbitration and other proceedings, and changes (i) to laws and regulations, including those related to tax, (ii) due to the results of elections, and (iii) in trade and other foreign policy, including the imposition of tariffs by the U.S. and foreign countries; cybersecurity threats, including by state and state-sponsored actors, of ransomware or other attacks on our systems or the systems of third parties with which we conduct business, including the energy grid or other energy infrastructure; the availability, uses, sufficiency, and cost of capital resources and our ability to borrow money or otherwise raise capital on favorable terms and meet our obligations, which can be affected by, among other things, (i) actions by credit rating agencies to downgrade our credit ratings or place those ratings on negative outlook, (ii) instability in the capital markets, and (iii) fluctuating interest rates and inflation; the impact on affordability of our customer rates and our cost of capital and on our ability to pass through higher costs to customers due to (i) volatility in inflation, interest rates and commodity prices and (ii) the cost of meeting the demand for lower carbon and reliable energy in California; the impact of climate policies, laws, rules, regulations, trends and required disclosures, including actions to reduce or eliminate reliance on natural gas, increased uncertainty in the political or regulatory environment for California natural gas distribution companies, the risk of nonrecovery for stranded assets, and uncertainty related to emerging technologies; weather, natural disasters, pandemics, accidents, equipment failures, explosions, terrorism, information system outages or other events, such as work stoppages, that disrupt our operations, damage our facilities or systems, cause the release of harmful materials or fires or subject us to liability for damages, fines and penalties, some of which may not be recoverable through regulatory mechanisms or insurance or may impact our ability to obtain satisfactory levels of affordable insurance; the availability of natural gas and natural gas storage capacity, including disruptions caused by failures in the pipeline and storage systems or limitations on the injection and withdrawal of natural gas from storage facilities; and other uncertainties, some of which are difficult to predict and beyond our control.

These risks and uncertainties are further discussed in the reports that the company has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These reports are available through the EDGAR system free-of-charge on the SEC's website, www.sec.gov, and on Sempra’s website, www.sempra.com. Investors should not rely unduly on any forward-looking statements.

Sempra Infrastructure, Sempra Infrastructure Partners, Sempra Texas, Sempra Texas Utilities, Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC (Oncor) and Infraestructura Energética Nova, S.A.P.I. de C.V. (IEnova) are not the same companies as the California utilities, San Diego Gas & Electric Company or Southern California Gas Company, and Sempra Infrastructure, Sempra Infrastructure Partners, Sempra Texas, Sempra Texas Utilities, Oncor and IEnova are not regulated by the CPUC.