Los Angeles is the most urban oil field in the United States. Here, the petroleum industry operates in the cracks, corners, and edges, hidden behind fences, and camouflaged into architecture, literally pulling oil out from under the feet of the city’s inhabitants.

More than 3,700 derricks extract oil from about 55 active oil fields in the Los Angeles area alone, and 11 of them are located near and among a dense population of more than 10 million people.
Discreet signs of this activity are methane vents on curbs and disguised buildings that house pumps in neighborhoods and even in shopping centers.

In 1925, California supplied half of the world’s oil and much of it came from pumps in the Southern part of the State. Oil money created family dynasties with names like Getty, Doheny, and Bell and made possible the network of highways that helped the reliance on cars requiring gasoline.

Because of the negative public perception of oil extraction these urban pumping stations are camouflaged and hidden. The derricks are placed within golf courses, behind hedges and behind concrete walls. One pumping station (the Cardiff site) is designed to look kind of like a synagogue.

Today, we find densely populated urban neighborhoods with homes, schools, daycare centers, and multifamily apartment buildings adjacent to oil and gas operations.

The oil industry has responded to this proximity and population density by employing horizontal wells and directional drilling, which enables them to access oil over a wide area from a tightly concentrated central facility.

In some cases, oil drilling and production are located disturbingly close to homes, schools, churches, urban parks and playgrounds, and
hospitals.

States that have expanded drilling operations have documented elevated levels of VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) and worsening ozone levels in areas near drilling.
Particulate matter released by drilling sites is composed of very small particles that can move
deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream, and can contribute to heart problems, lung cancer, respiratory illness, and premature death.
The hazardous air pollutants (HAP) emitted from oil fields include benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, and many others

As oil production has increased, residents in Los Angeles communities living near oil wells routinely report symptoms of dizziness, nosebleeds, headaches, and exacerbated asthma.

These photos would like to show how the oil infrastructure blends seamlessly and stealthily in the Los Angeles landscape notwithstanding its dangers.