Oilwells at Signal Hill, Long Beach, California, USA in June 1954 – this view shows how close the oilfield is urban Los Angeles and the Pacific Ocean beyond. Timber and steel derricks can be seen, along with one or two ‘nodding donkeys’ (pumpjacks) and storage tanks. The Long Beach Oil Field was discovered in 1921. The field’s heyday was the 1920s, with hundreds of oil derricks covering Signal Hill and adjacent parts of Long Beach. The field is now largely depleted – a vintage 1950s photograph.
Oilwells at Signal Hill, Long Beach, California, USA in June 1954 – this view shows how close the oilfield is urban Los Angeles and the Pacific Ocean beyond. Timber and steel derricks can be seen, along with one or two ‘nodding donkeys’ (pumpjacks) and storage tanks. The Long Beach Oil Field was discovered in 1921. The field’s heyday was the 1920s, with hundreds of oil derricks covering Signal Hill and adjacent parts of Long Beach. There were few regulations on well spacing and Signal Hill sold narrow lots where wells were often within touching distance of each other. Signal Hill became known as ‘Porcupine Hill’ for its prickly appearance at a distance of wooden oil derricks. By 1923 production from the field made Los Angeles Basin account for twenty percent of the entire world output. That year the field produced over 68 million barrels of oil. The field is now largely depleted, but still officially retains around 5 million barrels of recoverable oil out of its original 950 million. The field is run by small independent oil companies. This image is from an old American amateur Kodak colour transparency. It will look soft if used at too large a size – a vintage 1950s photograph.
Size: 3543px × 2394px
Location: Signal Hill, Long Beach, California, USA
Photo credit: © M&N / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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