Honor Rancho storage field major engineering project

Southern California Gas Co. has placed in operation the sixth underground gas storage field serving the Los Angeles Basin, located 35 mi north of Los Angeles in the partially depleted Honor Rancho oilfield. Ameron handled the engineering and design of the gas injection, gas withdrawal, and processing systems for storage of up to 22.5 billion cu ft of gas at input pressures rising from 1000 psig in the spring to 3850 psig at full capacity. Ten oil production wells produce 4500 bbl/day of oil and brine to be separated and the oil stabilized; 29 gas injection/withdrawal wells can deliver up to a billion cu ft/day of gas for dehydration and removal of liquid hydrocarbons (which are sent to the oil stabilizer). Five 5500 hp gas engine-driven two-stage reciprocating compressors inject gas into the reservoir during spring, summer, and early fall. A detailed description covers the design concepts, processing plant, compressors, wells and field piping, gas dehydration and glycol regeneration, oil stabilization, brine disposal, fire protection, utilities and auxiliary systems, and start-up operations.