Trump administration directs Sable to start oil production off SB coast
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright on March 13 directed Houston-based Sable Offshore Corp. to restart oil production at its Santa Ynez Unit in federal waters off Santa Barbara County’s coast.
Wright said in a press release that he was taking the hotly contested action “to address supply disruption risks caused by California policies that have left the region and U.S. military forces dependent on foreign oil.”
He said a significant share of the oil refined in California travels through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has blocked in retaliation for joint U.S. and Israeli airstrikes that began Feb. 28, presenting serious national security threats.
Wright said the restart action is issued under authorities provided by the Defense Production Act and delegated through an executive order President Donald Trump signed March 13.
“The Trump Administration remains committed to putting all Americans and their energy security first,” Wright said. “Unfortunately, some state leaders have not adhered to those same principles, with potentially disastrous consequences not just for their residents, but also our national security,” he said.
The Santa Ynez Unit, which Sable bought from ExxonMobil in 2024, includes three oil and gas platforms, offshore pipelines, the 122-mile onshore Las Flores Pipeline System and processing facilities.
The unit has been turned off since one of its pipelines ruptured on May 19, 2015, spilling more than 2,900 barrels of heavy crude oil onto private property, Refugio State Beach and into the Pacific Ocean.
Sable’s efforts to reopen it have been met with stiff opposition from state and Santa Barbara County officials, and environmental groups.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom slammed Wright’s action, saying in a statement that the Trump administration and Sable are defying multiple court orders prohibiting the restart of the unit.
“California will not stand by while the Trump administration attempts to sacrifice our coastal communities, our environment, and our $51 billion coastal economy,” Newsom said.
Wright, however, said his order “will strengthen America’s oil supply and restore a pipeline system vital to our national security and defense, ensuring that West Coast military installations have the reliable energy critical to military readiness.”
Sable’s facility can produce about 50,000 barrels of oil per day – a 15% increase to California’s in-state oil production – that can replace nearly 1.5 million barrels of foreign crude each month, according to Wright.
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