G. McDonald Island Gas-Storage Field, San Joaquin County, California

Abstract

The Pacific Gas and Electric Company's gas demand is widely varied throughout any given year. As the population of northern and central California has grown, so has the variation in demand. The existing gas supply lines from outside the state necessarily are operated at near-maxi- mum capacity on a year-round basis. Additional capacity is needed for winter peak loads, but it would not be utilized during the low-demand summer months. One solution to this problem is storage of surplus gas during low-demand periods and withdrawal of the stored gas during peak-load periods. At McDonald Island, 50 billion cu ft of gas can be stored. An average of 150 million cu ft a day is the planned injection rate and withdrawal rates will range up to 200 million cu ft a day.