OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — An Oklahoma-based oil and gas drilling company will pay $650,000 to resolve a lawsuit filed on behalf of a fired worker and hundreds of unsuccessful job applicants who claimed they were victims of age discrimination.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity announced the settlement on Friday with Purcell-based Horizontal Well Drillers LLC.

The agency alleged in its lawsuit that the company fired a rig hand based on health information obtained from an unlawful medical exam and rejected rig hand applicants older than 40 because of their age.

"Oil rig drilling positions are phys...