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SAN DIEGO – A pipeline sending gasoline to San Diego customers has been shut down for nearly a week, fueling concern of a potential shortage in the region.
San Diego may already be dealing with the consequences of a recent pipeline leak in Cerritos at the Ironwood Nine Golf Course.
“At this time, it’s difficult to determine what’s going on. Nobody so far has come up with estimates in terms of the amount of gas that’s involved and therefore it’s difficult to gauge the impact,” economist Dr. Alan Gin shared with FOX 5.
It’s something Gin suggests could negatively affect the gas supply in the San Diego region, all while upping the cost.
“There’s little bit of a worry that there will be a shortage of gas and that the price of gas will increase in San Diego,” Gin said.
A Shell gas station on Mira Mesa Boulevard was blocked off from the public Monday evening. The assistant manager there, although declining to speak on camera due to company policy, did suggest the closure was related.
In a statement Kinder Morgan, the company operating the pipeline, responded to the leak in a statement:
“We continue to work around the clock to repair the impacted pipeline segment and are on track for the repair to be complete by Saturday, December 31. Air monitoring is ongoing at the site and there are no environmental or safety concerns for the public at this time. We remain in close contact with our customers who are implementing alternate logistics measures to deliver fuel supplies to the San Diego market. We also continue to work with the appropriate regulatory agencies to expedite the construction process wherever possible.”
Katherine Hill, Senior Communications Specialist, Kinder Morgan
As for how much this may impact your price at the pump, Gin says it’s too soon to tell, but suggests prices overall should steadily improve in the new year.
“Gas prices are down from a week ago, they’re down from a month ago and so that means more money in the pockets of San Diego consumers, so that’s a good situation, and even though we have an adverse event occurring as a result of this pipeline, I think we’ll be able to weather it pretty well,” Gin said.
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