(WO) – The Trump administration has ordered the restart of offshore oil production at California’s Santa Ynez Unit and the associated Santa Ynez Pipeline System, directing operator Sable Offshore Corp. to restore operations in an effort to strengthen domestic crude supply on the U.S. West Coast.
The order, issued by the U.S. Department of Energy under authorities provided by the Defense Production Act, calls for the restoration of production and pipeline transportation infrastructure serving the offshore Santa Ynez field.
According to federal officials, the Santa Ynez Unit has the capacity to produce approximately 50,000 bpd of crude oil. Restoring production could increase California’s in-state oil output by roughly 15% and replace as much as 1.5 MMbbl of imported crude each month.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the action is intended to strengthen domestic energy supply and support national security needs.
“The Trump Administration remains committed to putting all Americans and their energy security first,” Wright said in a statement. “Today’s 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.”
The directive also prioritizes pipeline transportation capacity to move offshore crude through the Las Flores Pipeline System to Pentland Station and into interstate pipelines supplying regional refineries.
See also: California orders Sable Offshore to remove Santa Ynez pipeline crossing state park
California currently imports more than 60% of the crude processed at its refineries, due in part to limited connections to interstate pipeline networks that transport domestic oil to the West Coast.
Sable Offshore operates the Santa Ynez Unit offshore Santa Barbara County and currently employs more than 100 workers and approximately 400 contractors in the region.
