California braces for uncertainty as last shipment of Persian Gulf oil arrives in Long Beach
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The last California-bound oil tanker to pass through the Strait of Hormuz since war erupted is at the Port of Long Beach offloading its valuable cargo — 2 million barrels of crude destined to be transformed into gasoline, jet fuel and diesel.The New Corolla loaded up in Iraq on Feb.24 — just days before U.S.
and Israeli forces launched attacks on Iran, plunging the region into turmoil and sparking a double blockade of commercial shipping.In two weeks, the Hong Kong-flagged tanker will have fully unloaded at the Marathon Petroleum terminal and departed again for distant waters.
After that, California must figure out how to replace some 200,000 barrels of oil a day that will no longer be arriving from the Persian Gulf.California’s own supply of crude oil has been declining since the 1980s, due to aging fields and a geology that makes drilling particularly costly.
The state’s gasoline refining capacity is also falling off, increasing reliance on imports and highlighting California’s status as an isolated energy island without gas pipelines to bring in supply from other states.Now, with the end of the Middle East conflict nowhere in sight and the average cost of California gasoline topping $6 per gallon, some lawmakers are warning of potential oil and gas shortages.
Climate & Environment As Los Angeles homeowners proceed with rebuilding from the 2025 fires, a new trend is emerging across the Palisades and Eaton burn areas.Emergency orders allow “like-for-like” replacements; some residents are moving toward all-electric home rebuilds.So far during the Iran war, oil deliveries to California have remained relatively steady.
The state imports about 75% of its oil from foreign countries and Alaska.Last year it brought in a mix from Brazil, Iraq, Guyana, Canada, Ecuador, Argentina and Saudi Arabia as its top international suppliers, with about 30% coming from the M...