BLM to Auction 35,000 Acres for California Oil and Gas Drilling

The offering covers roughly 35,000 acres in Kern, Kings, Fresno, and San Luis Obispo counties. While the agency initially considered 44 parcels in August, the final list was trimmed slightly before the announcement. A 30-day protest window for the public remains open through November 2, though winning a lease is only the first hurdle for energy firms. Any eventual development requires individual drilling applications, triggering further environmental reviews and site-specific permitting.

Most federal extraction activity in the state is concentrated in Kern County, which hosts over 95% of current drilling operations. According to federal data, these fields support approximately 3,500 jobs and generate upwards of $200 million in annual economic activity, with state coffers receiving about half of the $65 million to $90 million in yearly royalties. This expansion comes as California relies increasingly on overseas energy; in the first half of 2026, foreign crude accounted for 56% of the state’s total refinery supply, continuing a trend of declining domestic production.