New Corolla delivers last planned Middle East oil shipment to California
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 6
New Corolla delivers last planned Middle East oil shipment to California
10 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 6
The tanker brought 2 million barrels of Iraqi crude to Long Beach as California gasoline averaged $6.16 a gallon and officials said current supplies could meet demand for six weeks.
The shipment was the last to pass through Hormuz after the US-Israeli war with Iran disrupted oil markets, leaving California, which imports about a third of its oil from the Gulf, seeking alternatives.
National petrol averaged $4.54, near four-year highs, fuelling political clashes in California, while lower-income Americans cut driving but still paid more; oil later eased after Donald Trump suggested Hormuz could reopen.
With California's oil shipments from the Middle East halted, how might fuel shortages and price spikes reshape the state's energy and climate strategies?
Can California's reliance on foreign oil be sustainably reduced, or will new global disruptions keep the state vulnerable to future supply shocks?
The Final Shipment: How the Loss of 200,000 Barrels per Day from the Persian Gulf Sparks California’s Oil Crisis
Overview
In May 2026, the oil tanker New Corolla delivered the last shipment of Iraqi crude to California, marking the end of its reliance on Middle Eastern oil due to a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz triggered by regional conflict. This closure caused a historic disruption in global oil supply, pushing prices sharply higher and cutting off about 200,000 barrels per day to California. The state faces severe challenges from limited refinery capacity, unique fuel requirements, and restricted pipeline connections, leading to soaring gasoline prices and dwindling inventories. Efforts to reopen the strait have paused, while California urgently seeks alternative crude sources amid logistical hurdles, highlighting the urgent need for both immediate solutions and a long-term energy transition.