Oil Wells

The Oil Well Inspection Unit, formally a section of Harbor Industrial Unit, is now located at City Hall East, 200 N. Main Street, Suite 1770, Los Angeles, CA 90012. The Unit is charged with fire/life safety inspections of all oil wells throughout the City of Los Angeles and maintains records of over 3,500 oil wells dating back to the 1930’s.

The Oil Wells Unit can be contacted at 213-978-3598 or LAFD.OilWellUnit@lacity.org.

Forms & Permit Requests

Bond Form – Every active well must have on file an active bond or cash deposit. Instructions for required signatures are available at the the Office of the City Administrative Officer (CAO). Forms and required Bond paperwork could be forwarded to the Oil Wells Unit who will then act like a liason with the the CAO and the Office of Finance.
- Individual Well: A bond in the amount of $10,000 for each well
- Multiple Wells: A blanket bond in the amount of $50,000 (5 or more)
- Additional Wells: A rider for each new well to attach to the existing bond.
Operational Fire Permit – Every active well that has not been properly plugged must have an operational permit that is renewed annually until the wells have been properly abandoned. More information regarding necessary forms can be found at Office of Finance Forms
Specific Action Permit (fillable) – Before proceeding with a an abandonment (plugging with cement and sealing with steel plate) of any well, owners are required to obtain a Specific Action Permit for Abandonment. Once the form has been successfully filled out with the Well Name, Well No, API number, and all available information, the application is emailed to LAFD.OilWellUnit@lacity.org for processing.
- As of July 2022, the current fees for Specific Action Permits for Fire Department are:
  - Abandonment of any Oil Well: $2,696
  - Vent Cone Witnessing (Special: Field Erected Vessel): $1,348