Los Angeles County is suing four oil and gas companies for allegedly failing to plug at least 227 idle and exhausted oil wells in the large Inglewood Oil Field near Baldwin Hills, claiming the wells “continue to leak toxic pollutants into the air, land, and water.”
The lawsuit filed December 11, 2025 in Los Angeles County Superior Court charges Sentinel Peak Resources California, Freeport-McMoRan Oil & Gas, Plains Resources and Chevron U.S.A. with creating a public nuisance and unjust enrichment by refusing to properly decommission exhausted wells despite having extracted “enormous profits” from the oil field.
The Allegations
The complaint accuses the companies of adopting a business model of “intentionally extract[ing] the resource and leave[ing] the well for another to properly plug and decommission.” According to the lawsuit, operators have passed exhausted wells from one company to the next for decades, avoiding decommissioning costs that could total hundreds of millions of dollars.
The 1,000-acre Inglewood Oil Field, the largest urban oil field in the United States, has more than one million people living within five miles. The County alleges that 39 percent of the field’s oil and gas wells are exhausted but remain unplugged, with some wells idle for over a century.
Health and Environmental Impacts
The lawsuit cites research showing residents living near the oil field experience adverse health effects including:
- Reduced lung function and respiratory problems
- Elevated blood pressure and cardiovascular issues
- Increased cancer risk from benzene exposure
- Reproductive health problems and preterm births
The wells emit methane, benzene, hydrogen sulfide, and other toxic pollutants. County officials estimate it costs $923,000 per well to properly plug and decommission wells in the densely populated Southern California region.
Pattern of Asset Transfers
The complaint details how ownership of the Inglewood Oil Field passed through multiple operators since the 1920s:
- Chevron (late 1970s-1990): Sold to Stocker Resources for $59.9 million
- Plains Resources (1992-2002): Acquired Stocker, later spun off operations to Plains Exploration & Production (PXP)
- Freeport-McMoRan (2013-2016): Acquired PXP for $742 million, sold California assets to Sentinel
- Sentinel Peak Resources (2017-present): Purchased assets for up to $742 million
Each transfer allegedly involved underestimating decommissioning liabilities. The lawsuit notes that Freeport-McMoRan estimated just $100 million in future decommissioning costs for all California wells in the 2016 sale, far below the actual projected costs.
Environmental Justice Concerns
The lawsuit emphasizes that communities of color bear disproportionate impacts. In Los Angeles County, 44 percent of African Americans, 38 percent of Asians, and 37 percent of Latinos live near oil and gas wells, compared to 31 percent of whites.
The County seeks injunctive relief requiring the companies to plug the wells, monetary damages, and civil penalties. Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation in September 2024 targeting the Inglewood Oil Field specifically, imposing stricter requirements on idle wells and low-producing operations.
