California Coastal Commission unanimously blocks DCOR’s plan to resume offshore fracking

In a Thursday meeting in Santa Cruz County, the California Coastal Commission unanimously voted against DCOR LLC’s plan to revive offshore hydraulic fracturing on Platform Gilda, a nine-mile-off-shore oil rig near Ventura. The company’s proposal would raise daily production from 1,100 barrels to 4,000 barrels by treating 16 existing wells over five years, with operations lasting about two weeks each year. Commissioners cited the platform’s 45-year lifespan—well beyond its design expectancy—and the proximity to active earthquake faults as major concerns.

The rejection occurs as the Trump administration pushes a performance review of California’s Coastal Zone Management Act authority, aiming to limit the state’s ability to object to offshore drilling, floating nuclear reactors and rocket launches. More than 17,800 written comments and a large turnout of environmentalists, Indigenous leaders and local officials underscored widespread opposition. Environmental groups also reminded the commission that federal agencies had previously approved at least 51 offshore fracking permits without state notification, a practice halted after a 2022 Ninth Circuit ruling. DCOR said it had engaged with the commission in good faith and may challenge the decision in court or appeal to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.