If I had to suspect who was needing to steal a large amount of gas I would go head to the nearest marina and see who is suddenly fueling up their tanks.
First off California gas is crap, you have problems trying to store it. As far as pumping it from 8’ down they make daphram pumps or sewage pumps as they are called, you can buy them from Graingers with fuel proof rubber.
This is nothing, wait until a tanker truck gets hijacked.
Here in Alaska we also are seeing $.09 a gallon gas, but we are just shutting things down until it stabilizes. Canceling deliveries unless the contractors agree to pay the recent additional delivery charge for fuel.
Even more so people will Escape from California. They made their bed, chose who to sleep with and now they wake up with the smell. boo hoo hoo
The crime is not that the gas was stolen, the crime was an enormous amount of tax money was stolen, and this will be prosecuted vigorously