WASHINGTON — U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright directed Texas-based Sable Offshore Corp. on Friday to resume oil production in waters off Southern California using the Defense Production Act, citing national security concerns. The move targets the Santa Ynez unit and pipeline near Santa Barbara, which have been inactive since a 2015 oil spill.
The order marks the latest clash between the Trump administration and California over offshore drilling. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office seeking to reverse former President Joe Biden’s ban on future offshore oil drilling on both coasts. A federal court later invalidated Biden’s separate action withdrawing hundreds of millions of acres of federal waters from oil development.
Wright said restoring Sable’s operations would replace nearly 1.5 million barrels of foreign crude each month and ensure reliable energy for West Coast military installations.
“The Trump Administration remains committed to putting all Americans and their energy security first,” Wright said in a statement, adding that some state leaders have not adhered to those principles “with potentially disastrous consequences not just for their residents, but also our national security.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom swiftly condemned the directive.
“This is an attempt to illegally restart a pipeline whose operators are facing criminal charges and prohibited by multiple court orders from restarting,” Newsom said in a statement Friday. “California will not stand by while the Trump administration attempts to sacrifice our coastal communities, our environment, and our $51 billion coastal economy.”
Newsom warned of further litigation, declaring, “The Trump administration and Sable are defying multiple court orders, and we will see them back in court.”
The state has already sued the federal government over the issue. In January, California filed suit after federal officials approved Sable’s plans to restart pipelines along the coast. State Attorney General Rob Bonta argued that California regulates the pipelines through Santa Barbara and Kern counties and that the federal government “has no right to usurp California’s regulatory authority.”
Sable’s Santa Ynez unit includes three drilling rigs in federal waters, along with offshore and onshore pipelines and the Las Flores Canyon Processing Facility. The facility has the capacity to produce approximately 50,000 barrels of oil per day.
The 2015 spill, which released thousands of barrels of crude oil near Santa Barbara, led to years of legal and regulatory battles. The incident remains a focal point for environmental groups opposing offshore drilling in the region.
The dispute underscores the broader national debate over energy policy, environmental protection, and states’ rights as the Trump administration pushes to maximize domestic oil production.