California’s first of three offshore platforms back in oil production business after 10 years

California’s first of three offshore platforms is back in oil production after a decade. The Texas-based oil company, Sable Offshore, has resumed oil output from a platform off the California coast. The production had been halted for ten years, and two more platforms are yet to be brought back online.

Sable Offshore, the owner of a pipeline that will carry hydrocarbons from three offshore platforms, has restarted production at the Santa Ynez Unit’s first platform. The platform was shut down in 2015 due to a pipeline rupture that spilled oil near Refugio State Beach. The oil flow from the Harmony platform to Las Flores Canyon has started at a rate of 6,000 barrels per day.

Sable plans to commence production from additional wells on the Heritage and Hondo platforms in July and August 2025, respectively. The company’s Chairman and CEO, Jim Flores, expressed pride in achieving the milestone safely and responsibly.

The restart of oil production follows repairs to the Las Flores Pipeline System, with final testing expected to be completed soon. The oil sales are anticipated to resume in July 2025. Meanwhile, a lawsuit has been filed against the Trump administration over the failure to update development and production plans for the Santa Ynez Unit.