Sprawling

Before Southern California was a sprawling megalopolis of 20 million people it was one of the largest fossil fuel basins in the world, and with global oil prices approaching $150/bbl, the region’s lightly drilled or previously abandoned fields are being eyed for a lot of new drilling activity. This prospect has stirred concerns among many residential communities that surround still-producing fields in parts of southeast and west Los Angeles County, Long Beach and the Ventura area northwest of the city of Los Angeles.