1,000–5,000 trucks per day in Iraq — not Kern County

A video circulating under the title "Live Look at Kern County, California as PBF Refinery Refuses to Buy Barrels from the San Pablo Pipeline" does not show Kern County. The tanker trucks are running across the Iraqi desert, hauling crude oil and gasoline to Syria for export because Iraq can no longer move barrels through the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian action beginning February 28, 2026 has cut Iraqi oil exports by 70%, and Iraqi operators are running 1,000 to 5,000 trucks per day to keep product moving. Iraq was California's second-largest foreign crude supplier in 2025.

What the California story actually looks like

California Energy Commission Vice Chair Siva Gunda has described the state's posture as "predominantly an import state." In 2025, California imported more than 63% of its crude from foreign sources even though the state sits on one of the largest oil reserves in the country. In-state crude output now stands at 27% of its 43-year high. Over four decades, in-state production has fallen 63%, refinery output is down 36%, the state population has grown 24%, and vehicle registrations have climbed 38%.

Why the 210,000-bpd San Pablo Bay Pipeline is idled

The San Pablo Bay Pipeline (SPB) was effectively idled in December 2025 after low Kern County production and the loss of an anchor customer removed the volumes that once justified the 210,000-bpd line. Valero voluntarily closed its Benicia refinery in 2026, and Marathon's Martinez complex converted to renewable feedstocks in 2022. The SPB was subsequently sold to California Resources Corporation (CRC) for $63 million as part of the Crimson California Pipeline system. CRC accounts for roughly 80% of California's in-state crude production.

Which Northern California refineries still run

Two petroleum refineries remain operating in Northern California: Chevron Richmond and PBF Martinez.

• Chevron Richmond processes only imported crudes.
• PBF Martinez retains SPB connectivity and is described as the largest purchaser of indigenous California crude across the state.
• PBF Logistics' M70 line, which feeds the Torrance refinery, has spare capacity but is currently throttled by low in-state production.

Policy backdrop cited by the industry

The California Independent Petroleum Association (CIPA) reports that 16 of the 20 major legislative actions regulating California oil production were enacted under the Newsom administration. Key figures CIPA has published:

• Pre-SB 237 drilling permits down 90% since 2019
• State excise tax up 52%
• Refinery count fell from 11 in 2019 to 7 today
• All five closed refineries were former buyers of Kern County crude
• In-state CARB gasoline output down 20% since 2019
• AAA pump prices up 91% over the same period

What to watch next

• PBF Logistics' M70 throughput: a sustained ramp signals Kern production recovery
• The 210,000-bpd SPB line: reactivation economics depend on a return of Benicia-area demand
• Pre-SB 237 permitting and the state excise tax trajectory
• The foreign-import share, which sits above 63% and continues to set the floor under California pump prices