4 oil companies in LA County sued over unplugged oil and gas wells

Published Dec 10, 2025 at 2:32 PM

Four oil and gas companies that develop heavy oil from the Inglewood oil field were sued Wednesday after being accused of failing to address health and environmental concerns for those who live in the area.

The Los Angeles County government said it has filed the environmental justice lawsuit, claiming that the four oil and gas operators — Sentinel Peak Resources California, Freeport-McMoRan Oil & Gas LLC, Plains Resources and Chevron U.S.A.– allowed toxic pollutants to be let out into the air, land and water by failing to adequately decommission and seal inactive oil and gas wells. 

More than 25% of the Inglewood oil field are idle or no longer producing gas and oil, but they continue to emit toxins into the surrounding communities, the office of LA County Supervisor Holly Mitchell, whose 2nd district includes South LA areas, said in a statement. 

“Plugging idle oil and gas wells—so they no longer emit toxins into communities that have been on the frontlines of environmental injustice for generations—is not only the right thing to do, it’s the law,” Mitchell said in a statement. “At the very least, oil companies that have long profited from this land must uphold their responsibilities to properly close these wells and ensure they cause no further harm.”

The lawsuit also alleges that the companies “unjustly enriched themselves by investing their money elsewhere” without properly decommissioning the wells. 

The county is seeking civil penalties of up to $2,500 a day for each well from the current owner of the Inglewood well, Sentinel, committed unfair business practices.

Michell’s office argued that more than one million people live within 5 miles of the well as homes, apartments and other facilities surround the field. 

The idle wells have been inactive for at least 23 consecutive months. 

In 2023, Culver City and Sentinel Peak Resources reached a settlement, mandating the company to plug 15 wells by the end of 2027, with at least 3 wells needing to be capped every calendar year. 

Find a copy of the complaint here. See page 63 for details on the Unjust Enrichment claims.