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Brown well marker Jerry Brown State Wells: 5,460
Trump well marker Trump Federal Wells: 1,429
Total Mapped: 6,889
Data current as of January 7, 2019

Key Facts About California Offshore Oil Drilling

5,460
Jerry Brown State Wells
Permitted in California state waters, 2011–Jan 7, 2019
1,429
Trump Federal Wells
Approved in federal OCS waters off California, 2017–2021
6,889
Total Wells Mapped
All offshore wells in state and federal California waters
3.8×
Brown vs. Trump Ratio
Brown permitted ~3.8× more offshore wells than Trump off California

Wells by California Coastal County

Los Angeles County3,588
Orange County2,220
Ventura County966
Santa Barbara County79
Sonoma County14
California Offshore (Other)22

About This Map

This is archival data. This map was built to document offshore oil well permits issued during Governor Jerry Brown's second governorship (2011–2019) in California state waters, and every offshore oil well approved by President Donald Trump's administration (2017–2021) in federal Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) waters off California. The dataset covers activity through January 7, 2019 — the final day of the Brown administration.

Click any marker on the map to see the well's operator company, county, and GPS coordinates. Use the filter buttons above to view Brown State wells (Jerry Brown head pins), Trump Federal wells (Trump head pins), or all wells together. Clusters automatically expand as you zoom in.

California state waters extend from the shoreline to 3 nautical miles offshore — the Governor has permitting authority in this zone. Federal OCS waters begin at 3 miles and are regulated by the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) under the President.

For current data: This map only covers the Brown administration through January 7, 2019. For Gavin Newsom offshore oil well approvals since January 7, 2019, visit NewsomWellWatch.com. For the latest California energy policy news and analysis, visit ConsumerWatchdog.org/Energy.

Data sourced from the FrackTracker Alliance from state and federal regulatory records. This is a project of Consumer Watchdog.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many offshore oil wells did Jerry Brown approve in California?
Governor Jerry Brown permitted 5,460 offshore oil wells in California state waters from 2011 through January 7, 2019. Top operators include THUMS Long Beach Co. (1,485 wells), Tidelands Oil Prod. Co. (1,462 wells), California Resources Production Corporation (792 wells), and Chevron U.S.A. Inc. (518 wells).
How many offshore oil wells did Trump approve off the California coast?
President Donald Trump approved 1,429 offshore oil wells in federal OCS waters off California during his first term (2017–2021). These are located beyond the 3-mile state boundary in waters regulated by the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).
Where are most of California's offshore oil wells?
The largest concentrations are in Los Angeles County offshore waters (3,588 wells) and Orange County offshore waters (2,220 wells), concentrated around the Long Beach Tidelands and Huntington Beach area. Ventura County has 966 wells, primarily around the Santa Barbara Channel. Santa Barbara County has 79 wells.
Is this map current? Where can I find Gavin Newsom offshore well data?
This is archival data — the dataset is current as of January 7, 2019, the final day of Governor Brown's administration. For offshore oil well approvals by Governor Gavin Newsom since January 7, 2019, visit NewsomWellWatch.com. For current California energy policy news, visit ConsumerWatchdog.org/Energy.
Who are the biggest offshore oil operators in California waters?
The largest operators in this dataset: THUMS Long Beach Co. (1,485 wells), Tidelands Oil Prod. Co. (1,462), California Resources Production Corporation (792), Chevron U.S.A. Inc. (518), DCOR, L.L.C. (494), EXXON MOBIL CORPORATION (278), Sunset Oil Company (155), and ExxonMobil Corporation (154, separate dataset entry).
What's the difference between California state waters and federal OCS waters?
California state waters extend 0–3 nautical miles from shore. The Governor and California agencies issue well permits here. Federal OCS waters begin at 3 miles and are regulated by the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) under Presidential authority — not the Governor's. This is why the same geographic area can have both Brown state wells and Trump federal wells that operate under different regulatory regimes.
Did Brown approve more oil wells than Trump off California?
Yes — significantly more. Brown approved 5,460 state-water wells vs. Trump's 1,429 federal-water wells off California, a ratio of approximately 3.8 to 1. These are in different jurisdictions (state vs. federal waters), but the comparison illustrates the scale of permitting under each administration in their respective domains.
Can I download the California offshore oil well dataset?
Yes — the full 6,889-well GeoJSON dataset is at brownvtrumpoilmap.org/oilwells.geojson. Each feature includes the operator company name, county, GPS coordinates (lat/lng), and a category flag (1 = Brown State, 2 = Trump Federal). Data compiled by FrackTracker Alliance.
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