Abandoned Los Angeles Oil Wells Seeping Gas Will Be Sealed

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Authorities plan to seal two abandoned oil wells that have seeped natural gas into a Los Angeles neighborhood.

The California Department of Conservation announced plans Wednesday to seal the wells in the front yards of two Echo Park homes. Work will take about six weeks.

The 1,000-foot-deep wells date to the early 1900s. Authorities say they're seeping only tiny amounts of gas and don't pose any imminent danger but they continue to deteriorate. Efforts to find the owners and make them deal with the wells have failed.

Officials say many parts of Los Angeles are built atop former oil fields. Many wells were simply buried when production ended.

Since 1977, the state has plugged more than 1,350 so-called orphan wells but about 900 remain in L.A.

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