Los Angeles Urban Oil Fields – Nostalgia Central

In the 1890s, the small Californian town of Los Angeles began a transformation driven by the discovery and drilling of some of the most productive oil fields in history. By 1930, California was producing nearly 25% of the world’s oil output, and its population had grown to 1.2 million.

In the decades that followed, many wells closed, but even more opened, surrounded by urban and suburban growth. Machinery was camouflaged, loud noises were reduced, methane pockets were vented, and Los Angeles residents learned to live side by side with oil production facilities.

To this day, oil fields in the Los Angeles Basin remain very productive, and modern techniques have centralised operations into smaller areas or moved offshore.

Here are images of some of the sites and machinery still in use among the homes, golf courses, and shopping malls of Los Angeles.