Your 3 year measurement to production is starting from about year 7 in the process. There was a lot of work and time to get to the point where this field was announced.
You are still missing the point. It does not take 7 or 20 years to get production.
The Offshore California Basins are already explored by and large. Drilling a well, sending in a floater to produce like the Brazilians are doing will take a few months, not years like the Dems would have you believe for all offshore production.