In a bold energy move, U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has approved the reopening of California’s Santa Ynez offshore oil field, which sat idle since a major 2015 spill. The region is estimated to hold 190 million barrels of recoverable oil—representing a major expansion of Pacific offshore production.
The decision follows routine cleanup and regulatory reviews, but environmental advocates—including Senator Adam Schiff—warn the site remains vulnerable to pipeline corrosion and coastal contamination. Schiff has criticized the reopening as short-sighted, especially given California’s recent wildfire and pollution disasters.
The Biden-era halts on new offshore drilling have now been reversed under the Trump administration’s energy agenda. Burgum emphasized that streamlining permits and cutting bureaucratic red tape were key to quickly restoring production, projecting three platforms operational by year’s end.