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LA: The Biggest Urban Oil Field in the World?
LA is known for movie stars, sandy beaches, and congested freeways. What about its oil wells? That’s right! As it turns out, LA is home to over 5,000 active oil and gas wells. Billed as a liberal artistic paradise, the city hides a dirty secret in plain site.
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Most LA natives will know about the Long Beach oil islands, the El Segundo refinery, and the massive Inglewood Oil Field. But most my age don’t understand the extent of LA’s love affair with the oil industry.
We’re kind of a big deal
In the early to mid 1900's, Southern California produced 20% of the world’s oil. Today, the state still ranks 3rd in oil production. While Kern County pulls the majority of our state’s oil, LA is still impressively active.
How active? We increased the number of active wells by 16% from 2005 to 2015, and the LA Basin still has 5 billion barrels of recoverable oil. One third of LA residents live within a mile of an oil drilling site. Below are 5 active sites, in nice areas, that you might not know about!
Cheviot Hills:
