The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) said it plans to start hearings in mid-April on the future of Southern California Gas Co.’s (SoCalGas) 86 Bcf Aliso Canyon natural gas underground storage facility after a four-month long storage well leak in late 2015 and early 2016. The focus of the case is what role the state’s largest gas storage facility should play in ensuring gas and electric reliability, and whether SoCalGas should be allowed to resume operation of the 3,600-acre facility. A prehearing conference is set for April 17 in Los Angeles with a public participation hearing scheduled for later that evening in Northridge, near the storage site.

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Utah west desert district office seeks public comments on an environmental assessment completed on its plans to offer nine parcels covering 14,923 acres for oil/natural gas leases in Juab County, UT. BLM is planning to hold the lease sale in September. The public review and comment period is scheduled to be completed by the close of business May 1. Maps and additional information on the environmental assessment are available on the BLM website.