This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here. L.A. County is suing four oil companies for allegedly failing to plug at least 227 idle wells in the Inglewood Oil ...

Up to 3 million abandoned oil and gas wells litter the U.S. alone, and while many still contain oil or natural gas, the owners decided it wasn’t worth it to keep pumping. “They’ve tried everything,” ...

2:47 p.m. Dec. 12, 2025: An earlier version of this article said California law defines “exhausted wells” as those that have yielded an average daily production of two barrels of oil or less. This ...