The port was founded in 1911 after approval by the State of California, granting the City of Long Beach to use the tidelands for port and harbor operations. In 1921, oil was discovered in Signal Hill, near the port. This marked an age of oil drilling around the port, both on land and in the port's harbor. After decades of disputes over who should get the oil profits, it was determined that half would go to California, and the other half to the federal government. The port now continues to service ships from all over the world and operates limited oil operations which are now mandated by controlled water injections.
