On March 16, 2026, crude oil officially began flowing again through the Santa Ynez pipeline system off the coast of California after more than 10 years of inactivity, following an executive order signed by President Trump on March 14 using emergency powers under the Defense Production Act.
Source: New York Post.
The pipeline system, which passes through Santa Barbara County and terminates at the Pentland station in Kern County, resumed operations on March 16. Sable confirmed it has fully prepared its workforce and expects to begin selling oil by April 1, with a production volume of approximately 50,000 barrels per day. Currently, about 540,000 barrels of processed oil are in storage.
A Sable representative stated that restoring operations helps increase the domestic oil supply for the California market by approximately 17%, serving energy needs and national security goals amid context where the war with Iran shows signs of escalation.
California state officials reacted strongly. Governor Gavin Newsom argued that the move is a legal violation, while the California Governor responded sharply to the President's previous statements regarding state management rights, emphasizing that the pipeline system is involved in criminal charges and is currently under multiple court orders prohibiting operation.
Environmental organizations warned of the risk of repeating the 2015 oil spill—an event that previously caused the system to shut down for a long period. A representative from the Center for Biological Diversity suggested that the restart could pose a major risk to the coastal ecosystem, similar to concerns that California's climate policies could cause the oil and gas industry to collapse.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration cited security and energy demand factors, arguing that restoring operations is necessary to avoid supply shortages, alongside plans for a new $300 billion oil refinery in Texas.
In the coming period, Sable is expected to bring offshore production platforms back online sequentially, with the entire system slated for completion by June 2026.
