LOS ANGELES, March 13 (Reuters) - The Trump

administration on Friday directed Sable Offshore ( SOC ) to

restore oil drilling operations off the southern California

coast, the U.S. Energy Department said.

The move aims to restart oil production at a cluster of

offshore platforms as fuel prices continue to rise in the wake

of the war on Iran.

U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright told Sable to restart

work at the Santa Ynez unit and Santa Ynez pipeline "to address

supply disruption risks caused by California policies that have

left the region and U.S. military forces dependent on foreign

oil," the Energy Department said in a statement.

Sable Offshore ( SOC ) did not immediately respond to a request for

comment.