Oil Production Resumes Off California After Federal Order

Oil production has resumed from offshore platforms off the California coast near Santa Barbara for the first time in more than a decade, following a federal order from the Trump administration that overrides state regulatory hurdles. The directive, issued on Friday, March 13, 2026, compelled Houston-based Sable Offshore Corp. to restart operations at the Santa Ynez Unit, including three platforms and an associated pipeline system that had been idle since a 2015 rupture caused one of the state's largest oil spills.

The spill, which released between 142,000 and 450,000 gallons of crude into the Pacific Ocean due to pipeline corrosion, coated beaches, killed hundreds of birds and marine animals, and prompted the shutdown of the entire system. Sable, which acquired the assets from ExxonMobil in 2024 for $643 million, had spent over a year seeking state permits to resume but faced repeated denials and legal challenges from California regulators. A Santa Barbara County judge upheld an injunction last month blocking full operations until all state approvals were obtained.

President Donald Trump invoked the Defense Production Act, a 1950s-era law typically used in national emergencies,...