854 Ancient, Abandoned Oil Wells Lie Beneath LA Neighborhoods; Hardly Any Have Been Sealed

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Old oil wells should undergo specific processes at the end of their productive lives. “When a well is not capable of producing, it must be shut in properly and, eventually, plugged and abandoned (permanently sealed). Otherwise, it will deteriorate and corrode, potentially becoming an environmental and safety concern,” according to the California Department of Conservation (DOC), which oversees DOGGR. According to DOGGR’s 2018 records, 854 wells currently sit idle on the four-mile stretch of the Los Angeles City Oil Field. Of those, 16 lie under the properties on Firmin Street.


Los Angeles City Oil Field well map Credit: DOGGR Well Finder

In 2012 and again in 2014, after several complaints and inspections, DOGGR attempted to find a contractor to permanently seal Patel 1, but noted in a later email “the bid amounts exceeded the available budget.” Still, the smell became progressively worse, and in September 2014, DOGGR visited the Patel 1 site after receiving another complaint from a resident. The agency reported a “notable ‘rotten egg’ smell…[that] strongly suggests fugitive emission of hydrogen sulfide (H2S).” The agency returned to inspect the property after yet another complaint in April 2015, but again made note of no other action.

In the meantime, Roger Majano was searching for a resolution to the pervasive smell on his property. In response to Majano’s requests for help, DOGGR, often joined by representatives of local and regional authorities, visited Majano’s property several times in October of 2015. At each inspection they noted striking issues, including yellow discoloration and corrosion of the cement in the front yard, an “overwhelming” odor of “rotten egg” and alarming readings of methane and hydrogen sulfide.


Stained and corroded cement in the front yard of Roger Majano's property on Firmin Street. Credit: Roger Majano

At one visit, a South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) official used a hydrocarbon sniffer to measure a high of 140,000 parts per million (ppm) of methane, which Timothy O’Connor of the Environmental Defense Fund notes is an extremely dangerous reading. O’Connor says that regional air quality control measures dictate that, “when there is a release of methane at greater than 10,000 ppm, it must be repaired.” Levels over that amount present an explosive and environmental hazard. Further, the official recorded concentrations up to 34 ppm of hydrogen sulfide from the cracks in the concrete on Majano’s property. Such a level is well beyond what the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) deems as safe. DOL indicates that levels of as little as 2 ppm of hydrogen sulfide can cause nausea, headaches, tearing, loss of sleep, and airway problems. The ceiling exposure limit for workers is 10 ppm for 10 min. At 100 ppm, it is “immediately dangerous to life and health.”

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https://www.desmogblog.com/2020/02/13/los-angeles-vista-hermosa-cap-orphan-oil-wells-leaking-doggr