The high school built over an active oil field

Entertainment · Published 19 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Beneath the prestigious halls of Beverly Hills High School lies a literal underground industry. For decades, the school campus sat atop a drilling island, pumping oil while students took physical education classes nearby. This intersection of elite education and industrial extraction sparked a multi-million dollar legal battle over health and safety.

The school campus, situated on 19.5 acres in Beverly Hills, was built over an active oil field. A cluster of 19 oil wells in a single 'drilling island' was visible to drivers on Olympic Boulevard. By May 2006, these wells were pumping between 400 and 500 barrels of oil per day, generating the school approximately $300,000 in annual royalties. The oil was extracted from productive regions under many local homes and apartment buildings.

The proximity of these wells to campus sports facilities—including the soccer field, football field, and racetrack—led to significant controversy. In 2003 and 2004, law firm Baron & Budd partnered with Masry & Vititoe to file lawsuits on behalf of over 30,000 former students from the 1970s through the 1990s. The plaintiffs alleged that toxic fumes from the wells caused cancer in students who were required to run near the drilling sites during physical education.

The legal battle was intense. The city and school district disputed the health claims, citing air quality tests that showed normal levels. A 2003 report by the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California did not validate the assertions made by the litigants. However, in 2006, the first 12 plaintiffs were dismissed because there was no indication that benzene caused the specific diseases involved. By 2021, the oil wells were finally plugged and capped, and the derricks were demolished.

The school's history is also marked by infrastructure tension. In 2018, students protested a proposed 'Subway to the Sea' expansion that would have tunneled beneath the campus. The city and school district spent over $15 million on litigation to oppose the project, citing fears of explosions, carcinogens from seeping fumes, and potential terrorist attacks. Ultimately, in 2020, a judge ruled in favor of the Metro transit project.

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