Oil production is ramping back up off the Central Coast. A Texas-based oil company resumed sales of crude oil on April 1 after the Trump administration invoked the Defense Production Act.
It’s being processed through a pipeline system that ruptured in 2015, causing a major oil spill.
Sable Offshore Corp. announced it has restarted oil sales from the Santa Ynez Unit, an offshore oil and gas field that includes three platforms off the Santa Barbara County coast. The company says the system is now transporting more than 50,000 barrels of oil per day, with shipments going to Chevron.
Federal regulators have completed inspections on Platform Heritage, allowing production there to resume at about 30,000 barrels per day, according to the company. Another site, Platform Harmony, has been producing roughly 22,000 barrels daily since last year.
Sable CEO Jim Flores described the restart as a boost to domestic energy production, saying it will help supply oil to U.S. consumers and the military. The company also expects Platform Hondo to return to service later this year.
The restart comes as Sable faces legal and regulatory challenges in California, including lawsuits and cease-and-desist orders from multiple state agencies.
Environmental advocates are also raising concerns, pointing to the pipeline system’s connection to the 2015 Refugio Oil Spill, which released more than 100,000 gallons of crude oil along the Santa Barbara County coastline. Critics warn that restarting operations could increase the risk of another spill and further impact the region’s environment.
