Weeks after receiving federal approval to restart the controversial Santa Ynez Unit oil production along the California coast, Sable Offshore Corp. faced a new setback when a Santa Barbara County Court declined its request to lift an injunction that prevents the company from restarting its oil pipelines.
Under direct questioning from Santa Barbara Superior Court Judge Donna D. Geck, Sable’s attorneys confirmed that the company has not yet restarted two aging, defective pipelines running from the Santa Barbara coast to Kern County.
Because no oil flowed through pipelines CA-324 or CA-325 before the end of 2025, Sable’s restart plan is now subject to a new California law, effective January 1, 2026. The law requires oil companies to obtain a Coastal Development Permit from the California Coastal Commission before reactivating idled or aging fossil fuel equipment…