Exclusive | Oil giant gives Newsom the middle finger — and offers rare peak inside California’s gas lifeline

Nypost · 🇮🇷 public Iran · Apr 12, 2026 · 969 words · By Zain Khan

Political Conflict (Newsom vs. Pro-Oil Interests) Energy Security and National Interest Economic Necessity (Jobs and Tax Revenue)

headphones Listen to the eFinder podcast briefing

Generate a natural audio summary of this story

Daily briefing

What to know about Political Conflict (Newsom vs. Pro-Oil Interests)

As Californians face soaring prices at the gas pump, the newly re-opened Santa Ynez Refinery is now churning out 60,000 barrels of oil a day.

Claims checked 20

Techniques found 4

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center75%

Right25%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

As Californians face soaring prices at the gas pump, the newly re-opened Santa Ynez Refinery is now churning out 60,000 barrels of oil a day.

Why it matters

During an exclusive visit to the newly reopened platforms, where oil is once again flowing through onshore pipelines in Santa Barbara following a Trump executive order, The California Post sat down with the facility’s executive, who offered a pointed but…

Common ground

“We have a perfect, safe restart of the pipeline,” J.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling, Black-and-White Fallacy: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Political Conflict (Newsom vs. Pro-Oil Interests) story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that As Californians face soaring prices at the gas pump, the newly re-opened Santa Ynez Refinery is now churning out 60,000 barrels of oil a day?
How does this story connect Political Conflict (Newsom vs. Pro-Oil Interests) with Energy Security and National Interest over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/04/12/us-news/santa-ynez-oil-refinery-roars-back-pumping…

psychologyDetected Techniques

warning

Loaded Language 90% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

warning

Name Calling / Labeling 75% confidence

Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.

warning

Black-and-White Fallacy 65% confidence

Presenting only two options when more exist.

warning

Cherry Picking 80% confidence

Selectively presenting evidence that supports one side while ignoring contrary evidence.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

20 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

schedule Pending 10

help Insufficient Evidence 6

info Single Source 3

verified Verified By Reference 1

info

“As Californians face soaring prices at the gas pump, the newly re-opened Santa Ynez Refinery is now churning out 60,000 barrels of oil a day.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The claim that the Santa Ynez Refinery is producing 60,000 barrels of oil a day is reported in one web search result ('Exclusive |SantaYnezoilrefineryroars back, pumping60,000...'). While another web search result mentions a refinery boasting 60,000 barrels per day, this appears to refer to a different location (Port Harcourt) and is not corroborated by a second independent source confirming the Santa Ynez location and capacity. Therefore, it is only supported by a single source contextually related to the claim.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Gaviota Coast in Santa Barbara County, California, is a rural coastline along the Santa Barbara Channel roughly bounded by Goleta Point on the south and the north boundary of the county on the nor…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaviota_Coast

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Operation Brother Sam was the use of the United States Navy and Air Force in support of the coup in Brazil in 1964. With the deterioration in relations with João Goulart's government and the favorable…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Brother_Sam

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Refugio oil spill occurred on May 19, 2015 along the Gaviota Coast in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. It contaminated one of the most biologically diverse areas of the West Coast …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refugio_oil_spill

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

“The California Post sat down with the facility’s executive, who offered a pointed but measured response to the Democrat outcry at the decision, which is still facing legal action to shut it down again.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The web search result referencing the Santa Ynez Refinery mentions the reopening and the context of oil flowing, but it does not contain the specific detail that the decision is facing ongoing legal action or that the California Post interviewed an executive about it. The evidence is insufficient to corroborate the legal challenge aspect from multiple sources.

menu_book

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

“About 100 new jobs have already been created, and an additional 200 are expected once all three platforms are fully operational, according to Sable.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

No evidence was found in the provided web search, Wikipedia, or cross-reference results that mentions Sable Offshore Corp., 100 new jobs, 200 expected jobs, or the total of 300 jobs.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Rex Wayne Tillerson (born March 23, 1952) is an American energy executive and former diplomat who served as the 69th United States secretary of state from 2017 to 2018 in the first administration of D…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rex_Tillerson

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Exxon Valdez oil spill was a major environmental disaster that occurred in Alaska's Prince William Sound on March 24, 1989. The spill occurred when Exxon Valdez, an oil supertanker owned by Exxon …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exxon_Valdez_oil_spill

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — On the Run is a flagship convenience store brand developed by ExxonMobil, used at Exxon and Mobil stations in the United States and at Esso and Mobil stations internationally. Alimentation Couche-Tard…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Run_(convenience_store)

+ 3 more evidence sources

help

“It’s also projected to generate an estimated $5 million in annual tax revenue, which the state certainly needs.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found across any sources to support the claim that the operation is projected to generate $5 million in annual tax revenue.

help

“The helicopter tour was a brief ten-minute flight from the Las Flores Canyon onshore base to the Harmony platform.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found across any sources regarding a ten-minute helicopter tour from Las Flores Canyon to the Harmony platform.

help

“The platform typically hosts about 35 crew members at a time on two-week shifts.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found across any sources regarding a platform typically hosting 35 crew members on two-week shifts.

help

“There are three platforms – Hondo, Harmony, and Heritage – all located in federal waters off the Santa Barbara coast.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found across any sources confirming the existence or location of three platforms named Hondo, Harmony, and Heritage in federal waters off the Santa Barbara coast.

info

“Sable’s nearly 60,000 barrels per day may be small compared to U.S. consumption of about 20 million barrels, but it’s significant for California.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The web search result mentioning the Santa Ynez refinery compares its output to U.S. consumption of about 20 million barrels, which supports the relative comparison aspect of the claim. However, this comparison is only found in one web search result, and no other source corroborates the specific figures for U.S. consumption or the comparison itself.

help

“The state’s oil production has fallen by about 75% since its peak in the 1980s.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found across any sources detailing a 75% decline in California's oil production since the 1980s peak.

help

“The Santa Ynez pipeline restart “marks a 15% increase in California’s in-state oil production, which will replace almost 1.5 million barrels of foreign crude oil each month,” according to the Department of Energy.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found across any sources detailing a 15% increase in production or the replacement of 1.5 million barrels of foreign crude oil monthly attributed to the Department of Energy.

schedule

“California has the highest gas tax in the U.S. at 61.2 cents per gallon for the state excise tax.”

PENDING

schedule

“When including federal taxes, sales taxes, and fees, the burden on California drivers is about 90 cents per gallon.”

PENDING

schedule

“Sable’s infrastructure in Santa Barbara had been closed following the 2015 Refugio Beach oil spill, caused by a ruptured, heavily corroded pipeline that released over 120,000 gallons of crude oil.”

PENDING

schedule

“The operation was shuttered for over a decade due to environmental damage, legal injunctions, and failure to obtain necessary safety permits before recently attempting to resume operations under federal emergency orders.”

PENDING

schedule

“In May 2025, oil from six Platform Harmony wells began flowing to Las Flores Canyon for storage pending approval to restart the onshore pipeline.”

PENDING

schedule

“On March 13, Trump issued an executive order directing use of the Defense Production Act to authorize Sable Offshore to resume operations in the Santa Barbara Channel, citing national security and energy supply concerns.”

PENDING

schedule

“On March 14, hydrocarbon transport resumed from Las Flores Canyon to Pentland, and oil sales began on March 29.”

PENDING

schedule

“Phillips 66 and Valero are winding down operations in California.”

PENDING

schedule

“The Bakersfield Phillips 66 refinery closed in December 2025, and Benicia’s Valero facility is set to shut end of this month.”

PENDING

schedule

“The governor has maintained that rising gas prices are due to Trump’s war-related actions in Iran, which blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for the world’s oil supply.”

PENDING

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.