WP: California, Gulf of Mexico, and Arctic targeted in Trump's draft offshore oil plan

Officials in the Trump administration are planning to propose new oil drilling off the coast of California, according to a draft map reviewed by The Washington Post.

The plan, which has not yet been finalised, is expected to draw strong opposition from California Governor Gavin Newsom and other state Democrats.

The draft proposal envisions six offshore lease sales along the California coast between 2027 and 2030. It also includes potential expansion of drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico—an area traditionally avoided due to opposition from Florida residents concerned about oil spills harming beaches and tourism. Lease sales in the eastern Gulf are being considered for 2029 and 2030.

In Alaska, more than 20 lease sales are under consideration through 2031 across virtually all offshore areas, including the remote “High Arctic,” located more than 200 miles offshore in the Arctic Ocean.

Industry groups, led by the American Petroleum Institute, have voiced support for expanding offshore drilling. In a June letter, ten oil and energy organisations said all areas with the potential to create jobs, revenue, and increased production should be included in federal plans. The letter specifically defended new drilling near California, noting that historic oil production in areas leased more than 50 years ago and existing infrastructure — particularly in Southern California — would allow for rapid development. The groups also backed drilling in the eastern Gulf, citing its proximity to developed areas as a pathway to faster production.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta has pledged to resist any offshore drilling, joining attorneys general from nine other states in opposing exploration along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. “President Trump is once again taking action to line the pockets of his Big Oil friends. This time, he’s expanding oil and gas development by attempting to drill in our coastal communities,” Bonta said in June. “We won’t stand idly by as the President continues to ignore science.”

The proposed offshore oil plan would remain in effect for five years once finalised. It complements a series of offshore lease auctions already approved under President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, which includes 30 Gulf of Mexico lease auctions over the next 15 years and six off the Alaska coast in the next decade.

However, the plan remains at least a year away from final approval, and any new production would take additional years to begin. The High Arctic areas under consideration are extremely remote and have never been drilled, raising concerns over environmental risks. “It’s basically impossible to clean up an oil spill if it happened up there, because it’s so remote, conditions are so extreme, and it’s a really fragile environment,” said Valerie Cleland, senior manager for ocean energy at the Natural Resources Defence Council.

It is also unclear whether energy companies would pursue drilling in these new areas. No federal lease sales have been held on the Pacific Coast since the 1980s, and some firms are concerned that prices may not be sufficient to make expansion profitable. Ben Cahill, an energy markets scholar at the University of Texas at Austin, noted that decades of minimal exploration make it difficult to estimate viable resources. “It is an open question whether companies would be interested,” he said.

Interest is expected to be stronger in the Gulf of Mexico, where drilling infrastructure already exists and local communities generally support the industry. Opening California waters for exploration would be more challenging, requiring significant new infrastructure to bring products to market. “Even in federal offshore waters, you still need to get products to market. You would have to build infrastructure that is not readily available like it is in the Gulf,” Cahill said.

Industry groups have also suggested considering drilling along the Atlantic coast. An earlier version of the draft plan reportedly included possible East Coast lease sales. For development in the eastern Gulf to proceed, Trump would need to lift a moratorium from his first term, which currently remains in effect until 2032.

“Coastal governors don’t want this, but I think we’re in a different political reality. The risk seems a little more real than in the past,” Cleland said.

By Tamilla Hasanova