California imports nearly 80% of the oil used in the state from countries like Iraq or the Amazon rainforest.
Posted by On with Kara Swisher, Checked
- Sources
- 2 contradict4 support
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 55%
On with Kara SwisherAug 10, 2026
The sources put California's foreign oil share at roughly 60% to 77%, depending on the measure, with about 75% the most common figure, so 'nearly 80%' is at the high end or a modest overstatement.
A detail. The sources confirm the gist; the verdict faults a detail such as a date, number or wording.
This claim is about the present, so it is judged as of the day it was checked.
What we found
Contradicts. A federal energy fact sheet puts the share of crude supplied to refineries that is imported at 60%, which is well below 'nearly 80%'.[1]
Contradicts. The state energy profile says foreign suppliers provided almost two-thirds of the crude refined in California, a lower share than the claim's 'nearly 80%'.[2]
Supports. The state's official 2025 foreign crude import table shows Iraq as the second-largest source at about 17.5% of imports, and total foreign crude imports of about 290 million barrels.[3]
Supports. Several reliable outlets put California's oil import share at about 75%, and the Assembly committee background says about 77% of crude supplying refineries came from outside the state in 2025.[4][5][6]
Context. The 'nearly 80%' figure depends on the measure used: share of crude refined versus share of total oil consumed, and the sources report different baselines for each.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
Sources
6 sources: 4 primary, 1 tier 2, 1 not rated
- 1California's War on American Energy Impoverishes ...energy.gov · primary source · cited for: contradicts, context
- 2California State Energy Profileroseville.ca.gov · primary source · cited for: contradicts, context
- 3Foreign Sources of Crude Oil Imports to Californiaenergy.ca.gov · primary source · cited for: supports, context
- 4[PDF] Background May 5, 2026 - Assembly Utilities and Energy Committeeautl.assembly.ca.gov · primary source · cited for: supports, context
- 5Sponsored Content: California's Energy Crossroads - Politicopolitico.com · tier 2 · cited for: supports, context
- 6California braces for uncertainty as last shipment of ...latimes.com · not rated · cited for: supports, context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
Related claims
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- The California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) refuses to issue permits for the maintenance of oil wells.False