ExxonMobil loses bid to truck millions of gallons of crude oil through central California

ExxonMobil lost a court bid Wednesday to truck millions of gallons of crude oil through central California — a crucial part of its efforts to restart offshore oil wells that were shut in 2015 after a pipeline leak caused the worst coastal spill in 25 years.

A federal judge refused to overturn a 2022 decision by the Santa Barbara County Board Supervisors that denied ExxonMobil’s request to use trucks to carry crude from the three wells.

A request for comment from ExxonMobil about the decision wasn’t immediately returned.