Under intensifying legal scrutiny, Sable Offshore Corp. has filed a $347 million claim against the California Coastal Commission, accusing the agency of unlawfully blocking its efforts to restart a major offshore oil operation.
The Texas-based company argues that state regulators deliberately delayed permits needed to resume production at the Santa Ynez Unit — a complex network of offshore platforms, onshore facilities, and crude oil pipelines stretching along the Central Coast.
Environmental Violations Spark Legal Showdown
The filing comes just days after California officials accused Sable of unpermitted excavation and illegal discharges that risked polluting waterways in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. Regulators allege that Sable ignored water-quality protections and damaged sensitive habitats in its rush to meet a July 1, 2025, pipeline restart deadline.
According to the state’s complaint, the company “placed profits over environmental protection” in its efforts to bring its crude-oil lines back online.
Pipelines Linked to 2015 Refugio Oil Spill
The pipelines at the heart of the dispute — Lines 324 and 325 — were shut down following the 2015 Refugio oil spill, which released over 100,000 gallons of crude oil along the Santa Barbara coastline after a rupture in a line owned by Plains All American Pipeline…