July 13 (Reuters) - California, the seventh-biggest U.S. crude oil producer, has put a near halt on issuing permits for new drilling this year, according to state data.
New drilling permits have steadily declined since Gavin Newsom became governor in 2019, but the current rate of approval represents a sudden and dramatic drop.
In an email, CalGEM attributed the smaller number of approvals to both the broader decline in California oil production and litigation that has paused permitting by Kern County, the center of the state's oil industry.
The governor wants to phase out oil drilling in the state by 2045.
California also passed a law last year banning oil and gas drilling within 3,200 feet of structures including homes, schools and hospitals.
Persons:
Gavin Newsom, CalGEM, CIPA's Zierman, CIPA, Liza Tucker, Nichola Groom, Leslie Adler
Organizations:
Energy Management Division, California Independent Petroleum Association, Sentinel Peak Resources, San Luis Obispo County, Natural Resources Management, FracTracker Alliance, Reuters, Consumer, Consumer Watchdog, tinker, Thomson
Locations:
California, Kern County, San Luis Obispo