Oil flows again through controversial California pipeline after Trump order

Pipeline, closed since 2015 after huge oil spill, reopens after president cites need to boost US supply amid war on Iran Oil has begun to flow from a controversial California pipeline system for the first time in more than a decade following a Trump administration order, despite state officials decrying the move. Sable Offshore Corporation, the Houston-based owner of the coastal pipelines, announced on Monday that offshore oil was now flowing through its Santa Ynez unit and Santa Ynez pipeline system, which runs through several California counties. The pipeline had been closed since 2015, after a burst pipe caused a major oil spill, one of California’s worst to date. Hundreds of animals, including birds and marine wildlife, died after being coated in crude oil. Sable, which took over ownership of the pipeline from ExxonMobile in 2024, has been attempting to restart its offshore oil production for over a year but has failed to secure necessary permits from California regulators. On Friday, however, Donald Trump ordered the pipeline to reopen regardless of regulator approval, citing energy needs amid the war on Iran. Trump, along with the US energy secretary, Chris Wright, invoked em