Trump orders oil production to restart off Santa Barbara County

March 15, 2026

By KAREN VELIE

President Donald Trump on Friday directed Sable Offshore to resume oil production off of Santa Barbara under the Defense Production Act. Sable Offshore has been unable to produce oil because of ongoing disagreements over permitting its Santa Ynez pipeline.

Sable is slated to produce approxamatly 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 the Department of Energy.

It is estimated that more than 60 percent of the oil refined in California is shipped in from overseas, including oil that travels through the Strait of Hormuz.

“The Trump Administration remains committed to putting all Americans and their energy security first,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said in a statement. “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.

“Today’s order will strengthen America’s oil supply and restore a pipeline system vital to our national security and defense, ensuring that the West Coast military installations have the reliable energy critical to military readiness.”

Congressman Salud Carbajal hit back saying that Trump is using the war in Iran to override the will of California and Santa Barbara County residents.

“The reality is that restarting the Sable project would produce nowhere near enough oil to lower the skyrocketing gas prices families are facing,” Carbajal said. “His reckless war is causing immense damage, and jamming the Sable project through is a hollow solution.”

For more than six months, state and federal regulators have battled over the reopening of the Santa Ynez pipeline, which is needed to transport the oil. While the State Fire Marshal argues Sable had not yet completed all of the repairs necessary to restart the pipeline, federal regulators claim they have jurisdictional control.

The Defense Production Act grants the president powers to ensure the nation’s defense by expanding and expediting the supply of materials and services from the domestic industrial base.

In 2015, a pipe owned by Plains All American Pipeline ruptured near Refugio State Beach in Santa Barbara County, causing more than 100,000 gallons of oil to spill. About 21,000 gallons flowed into a culvert and then into a ditch that drains into the ocean.

The spill spread over 9 miles of mostly sandy beaches and led to the closure of the three offshore drilling platforms and the pipeline, which are now owned by Sable.

In May 2025, Sable resumed oil production in federal waters offshore of Santa Barbara County. It started extracting oil from one of three platforms that had been closed since the 2015 spill.

The resumption of offshore oil production began just a month after the California Coastal Commission fined Sable $18 million and ordered a halt to their work for not obtaining necessary permits. The company disputes the Coastal Commission’s finding, arguing it has all the required permits for its operations.

Environmental groups, including the Center for Biological Diversity, have criticized the offshore oil production restart, citing risks to sensitive habits and species.

Before the Iran War started, Sabel argued that restarting oil production off Santa Barbara’ coastline was in the national interest.

An argument environmental groups claim is fear mongering.

“This oil isn’t going to bring the price of oil down, not by one cent,” said Jeremy Frankel, an attorney with the Environmental Defense Center. “Trump is using a war that he started to increase profits for his friends in the oil business.”

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