I asked two AI wizards if they could tell me the total number of lawsuits filed against Sable Offshore or the Federal govt regarding the restart and transport of production from the Santa Ynez Unit. One said the total fluctuates as new petitions are filed and consolidated. (Duh! 😉)
Grok gave it a good shot, qualifying the answer as appropriate:
“There is no single official or comprehensive public tally of every lawsuit ever filed on this topic. As of late September 2026, reporting describes roughly a dozen active/related lawsuits tied to the Santa Ynez Unit (SYU) pipelines and restart; many more have been filed overall (some resolved, consolidated, or mooted).” (Reasonable answer.)
The most recent Court filing is by a group of NGOs challenging PHMSA’s June 25, 2026, order granting a “Special Permit” to Sable Offshore. The Special Permit, which is the subject of a number of lawsuits pertinent to the restart of Santa Ynez Unit production, applies to onshore pipeline segments CA-324 and CA-325. The pipeline originates at Las Flores Canyon in Santa Barbara County and terminates at Pentland Station in Kern County (map above).
In brief, the petitioners claim that the Special Permit and related documents were issued in excess of PHMSA’s statutory jurisdiction and authority and were issued unlawfully, and that PHMSA’s conclusions are arbitrary, capricious, and an abuse of discretion. Petitioners also challenge FWS’s concurrence with PHMSA’s determination that its order(s) will not likely adversely affect endangered species.
Here is a link to the complete Court filing, courtesy of Politico. For those who are following these matters, the PHMSA permit and related documents are included as exhibits. This compilation is helpful.
Kudos to EPA for their Notice (attached) informing that carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) doesn’t meet the Clean Air Act’s definition of “best system of emissions reduction” (BSER). This common sense determination is a setback for companies chasing the generous 45Q tax credits that their lobbyists succeeded in retaining and enhancing in the One Big Beautiful Bill (table below).
Per the Notice: “EPA is finalizing the determination that90 percent CCS is not the BSER for existing long-term coal-fired steam generating units because 90 percent CCS has not been adequately demonstrated, the costs of 90 percent CCS are not reasonable, and the associated degree of emission limitation is not achievable.”
EPA further determined “that previous projects that failed to achieve 90 percent CCS were not a sufficient basis to conclude the technology has been adequately demonstrated. Additionally, the carbon dioxide (CO2) capture, pipeline, and sequestration infrastructure necessary to implement 90 percent CCS for the fleet of existing coal-fired steam generating units does not currently exist and would need to be broadly deployed.“
EPA sensibly concludes (p. 58969) that the 45Q tax credit should NOT be accounted for when evaluating the reasonableness of the costs of the BSER. The carbon disposal industry has discounted the risks and overstated the benefits of CCS in their pursuit of those tax benefits, on which that industry is dependent.
199 oil and gas leases were wrongfully acquired for carbon disposal purposes. at Sales, 257, 259, and 261. Those blocks (red and blue) are adjacent to Texas waters. Only 7 of those leases remain in effect.
Dale Kunitomi, a distinguished Petroleum Geologist, was a good friend of Joan Barminski, geologist and retired Pacific Region Director for BOEM. Dale passed away on August 29, 2026. Joan shared the inspiring Coast Geological Society tribute to this remarkable man.
Dale was born at the Heart Mountain, Wyoming, Japanese concentration camp during World War II, where he spent the first year and a half of his life. When the camp closed, his family returned to Hollywood California to rebuild their lives with Dale and his four siblings. Growing up conflicted about his family’s hardship, he found his way back to his personal history as an adult, when he attended his first Manzanar Pilgrimage in 1988.
Dale’s parents were both college graduates and longtime teachers in the LA school system. After graduation from Belmont High School, Dale enrolled in Los Angeles City College then transferred to UCLA where he discovered geology courses. After graduation he worked for and lived in the City of Long Beach, California where the easterly extension of the giant Wilmington field had just begun. During that time, he attended four years of graduate night classes at USC in an attempt to “absorb the huge volume of literature documenting the emerging Plate Tectonics Revolution”. His education at UCLA and USC resulted in episodes of schizophrenia during fall football seasons.
From Long Beach his career took him to the Southern California Gas Company in Los Angeles, then to Santa Barbara, Ventura, Bakersfield, and Camarillo working for various small oil companies (Pauley, Argo, Celeron) concentrating on oil and gas exploration and development in California and Alaska. Dale’s work has also included geotechnical investigations, hydrogeologic assessments, and 3-D geologic modeling of oilfields. While living in Camarillo, he became an independent consultant in 1988 working for individuals, companies, municipalities and utilities on various aspects of oil and gas geology. A large portion of this work was as a contractor for Exxon / ExxonMobil from 1994 to 2003, as an operations geologist in the Santa Ynez Unit in the Santa Barbara Channel. Dale was the Exxon representative for most of the well logging operations during that time.
Dale and Grace enjoyed deep-sea fishing from their fifteen-foot 1978 Boston Whaler and from charter boats. The Whaler is still floating and berthed in the Channel Islands Harbor, and retains his classic sticker, “I brake for kelp paddies.” After one of his fishing trips, Dale treated the entire Exxon geology group to an exquisite self-prepared sushi lunch from his catch. Dale and Grace also enjoyed traveling to foreign lands that included China, Kenya, Kamchatka, Alaska, Canada, Australia, and Mexico. Many of these trips mixed geology and culture, and included a number of CGS folks.
The first presentation Dale made was to the Coast Geological Society in 1977 on transforming the Honor Rancho Oilfield to a Gas Storage Field after visiting the area. In 1993 Dale and Bob Michael presented on Kamchatka – The Russian Ring of Fire after a trip to the area. In 2005 he presented on Climate Change: The Paradox of Global Warming Causing A New Ice Age in a joint meeting with AEG. Dale was a CGS member and then an honorary member for over 45 years. Within CGS he proudly held the position of Assistant BBQ Chief under the tutelage of Dr. Eugene “Iron Chef” Fritsche. No doubt he was also proud to be CGS President in 1993-1994. He served as vice-president of the LABGS in 1976.
Dale was very active in the PSAAPG, where he was Vice President in 1999. He assisted with a successful convention held in Santa Barbara and was Convention Site Chairman for two conventions held in Ventura. Dale contributed or edited four Pacific Section publications including Structure and Petroleum Geology, Santa Barbara Channel as well as geology field guides and presented technical papers to the Pacific Section conventions.
In 2004 Dale S. Kunitomi was chosen to receive the Distinguished Service Award presented by the Pacific Section AAPG in recognition of his contribution to and involvement with the western United States geological community. In 2013 Dale received Honorary Life Membership, which is the highest award given to PSAAPG members. It is bestowed upon members who have distinguished themselves by their contributions and devotion to the science and profession of petroleum geology and by outstanding service to the Pacific Section.
In his DSA nomination autobiography, Dale wrote:
“I believe being born in the shadow of the geologic marvel of Heart Mountain, where Mississippian Madison Limestone overlies Eocene sediments, in some way influenced my life and career choices. I have been fortunate to have learned my craft from many knowledgeable geologists.”
L: 2013 PSAAPG Honorary Life Membership Award); R: 2021 Japanese American Incarceration Memorial Legacy Project
Presumably, existing Gulf State reefing programs and private initiatives for repurposing offshore platforms will be integrated into the new Federal program. Where State reefing legislation is unworkable (California), liability issues will have to be resolved. John Smith has made a proposal in that regard.
Full text of Section 6:
Sec. 6. Fast-Tracking Artificial Reefs and Habitat Creation. (a) Within 60 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Marine Minerals Administration, shall establish a Federal Outer Continental Shelf Reef-in-Place Program (Program) to facilitate the conversion of decommissioned offshore oil and gas and other-use structures, with the exception of infrastructure associated with offshore wind energy facilities, into permanent artificial reefs through reef-in-place, topple-in-place, or other approved reefing methods, where consistent with applicable law.
(b) The Program shall be available to qualifying offshore structures and leaseholders that satisfy all applicable statutory, regulatory, environmental, navigational, and safety requirements. The Secretary of the Interior shall establish criteria and standards for the program that ensure protection of navigation and national security interests.
(c) In establishing the Program, the Secretary of the Interior shall coordinate with the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of War, the Commandant of the United States Coast Guard, and the heads of other appropriate agencies to streamline interagency review and permitting to the maximum extent permitted by law, reduce unnecessary administrative delays, and promote timely decisions for qualifying reef projects.
(d) Within 120 days of the date of this order, the Secretary, acting through the NOAA Administrator, in coordination with the Secretary of the Interior, shall review and, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, revise policies and procedures governing SUPs and other applicable authorizations for the placement and management of artificial reefs within National Marine Sanctuaries and Marine National Monuments. Such revisions shall seek to establish transparent and efficient permitting pathways, identify areas suitable for artificial reef development and other national interest uses, and enhance fisheries, recreational fishing, diving, and other compatible public uses.
F/V Mistressjackup boat servicing Block Island wind turbinesidescan sonar image of wreckage within 50 feet of the base of wind turbine (the square)vessel’s net drum
“The F/V Mistress appears to have been resting in a very conspicuous location and that should have been detected and reported to the USCG for investigation within a period of months, not for more than 7 years.” John Ansay Sr., father of one of the deceased.
John Ansay Jr had just celebrated his 31st birthday before the tragic capsizing of the F/V Mistress.
Green Oceans (press release attached) is calling for the Federal government to reopen the F/V MISTRESS marine casualty investigation and independently examine the new evidence in light of the incident’s proximity to the Block Island Wind Farm. Because the Coast Guard declared the wreck ‘lost,’ its investigation never resolved the cause of the sinking or the conditions impacting the search and rescue response.
A Coast Guard helicopter dispatched in response to mayday calls reportedly could not conduct sector or parallel searches. The helicopter aborted its rescue attempt, returning after approximately 37 minutes. The records cite high winds, limited visibility, a low ceiling, and proximity to wind turbines as the hazards affecting the decision to turn back.
Green Oceans has asked the U.S. Department of the Interior to coordinate an interagency investigation, including reopening the Coast Guard inquiry that concluded with the vessel and two crew members classified as ‘lost’, and to provide public transparency for all subsea maintenance and monitoring at the site since 2019.
Inline inspections identified anomalies at multiple points in Segment 324 of Sable’s onshore pipeline. Sable is conducting validation digs.(Noozhawk image).
Sable Offshore has asked Santa Barbara County for approval to conduct exploratory digs to check anomalies at seven points along onshore Segment 324 of the Santa Ynez Unit pipeline system. This 10.86 mile segment runs from the Los Flores Canyon Processing Facility to the Gaviota Pump Station (map below).
According to the Emergency Special Permit issued by PHMSA, Sable is required to conduct in-line inspections (ILIs) with metal loss tools every 6 months for the first 2 years of operation.
Where metal loss is identified, immediate repair is required if the remaining strength of pipe shows a predicted failure pressure <1.39 times the maximum operating pressure (MOP).
Where direct field examinations indicate pipe wall loss of 40% or more, permanent repairs are required.
Comments:
On the plus side, it appears that the ILIs identified anomalies as intended.
The number of anomalies that have been identified is concerning. (Per PHMSA, the last ILI was on 12/10/2022, several years prior to the restart of production.)
Note that external corrosion caused the failure leading to the 2015 Refugio spill. The followup excavations should be effective in confirming such corrosion.
If the County releases a high-profile applicant’s letter to local media and NGOs, they should also post the letter on the County website so that other interested parties have access.
Total US gas withdrawals have doubled from 30 years ago when the Gulf accounted for >20% of the US total. Gulf production declined by 87% in that timeframe.
Until the late Triassic period, Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia were co-joined with Mauritania and Senegal as part of the Pangea super-continent. These Pangea neighbors share a common ancient geology.
Sadly, Paul is no longer with us 😥. I’m sharing a few of his slides as a reminder of his important work. I have also attached his 2016 report and am linking the 2021 update.
Given the current Atlantic moratoriums and the steep legal, social, and political barriers that would have to be cleared, evaluating the US Atlantic is not imminent. However, nearly all Atlantic nations and their Caribbean and North Sea cousins have exploration programs and some have been wildly successful. Oil and gas consumption will be stable or growing for the foreseeable future, and it’s important to better understand the petroleum potential of our Atlantic continental margin.
As expected, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to ban new onshore oil and gas drilling. This is another example of the South County (Districts 1-3) majority voting to deny the rights of North County (Districts 4 and 5) property owners and workers. Keep in mind that oil has been produced in the County for more than 130 years.
Attached is a concise, powerful comment letter submitted to the Board by Californians for Property Rights. Excerpt (emphasis added):
“Property rights are key to our nation’s prosperity, and these rights have been shown to be foundational to building prosperity around the world. However, for Americans, these rights are not only integral to our economy but also, and even more importantly, to our Constitution. Oil and gas mineral and royalty interests are private property. Minerals cannot be moved when government changes the rules. Their value depends upon the ability to access and responsibly produce them, and a government prohibition can effectively eliminate that value. These impacts reach real families. Mineral and royalty income supports farmers, ranchers, retirees, small businesses, and other property owners. For some agricultural families, it helps keep working farms and ranches economically viable and in family ownership.”
A suit filed by John and Melinda Morgan, who inherited the mineral rights to two parcels in the Cat Canyon Field (District 4). argues that a similar provision in CA Senate Bill 1137 amounts to an unconstitutional taking of their property.
California AB 1448 would limit the property rights of Federal lessees and deprive royalty owners – most notably the citizens of the United States – of revenue.
United’s massive Walton-Morant license is the size of 896 Gulf of America lease blocks!
United Oil and Gas reported a loss after tax of US$1.25 million for 2025, and closed the year with just US$1.67 million in cash. Their stock trades well below £1 per share (currently 0.22 GBX/share) on the London Exchange.
UOG’s primary asset is the massive Walton-Morant lease offshore Jamaica. The company’s future is dependent on finding a partner to fund an exploratory well. In that regard, UOG’s optimism has yet to result in a farmout deal after years of trying.
“This drilling study marks an important step in our operational planning to advance the Walton-Morant Licence towards a potential future drilling programme. It will provide a current, market-based assessment of rig suitability, availability, commercial conditions, and the long-lead items required to drill Colibri and Thunderball or similar targets.
Colibri and Thunderball represent substantial exploration opportunities within the Licence, with a combined potential of over 1 billion barrelsof mean prospective resources out of the 7 billion barrels of prospective resources identified on the licence to date.
By undertaking this study now, we are positioning the Company for operational readiness ahead of future drilling, whilst providing valuable information to support our on-going work as we push to conclude the Jamaican farm-out process. We look forward to updating the market with the study results in the coming weeks.”
Questions:
After years of trying, UOG has yet to secure a farmout partner. Are their terms unreasonable or are other companies less optimistic about the production potential?
Why has the Govt of Jamaica granted UOG multiple license extensions, the latest through 1/31/2028. Does the govt have that much confidence in a company with such limited financial resources?
Should the Govt of Jamaica have allowed the license to expire and negotiated directly with larger companies?
Was the govt concerned about administrative or political constraints associated with re-offering the massive license area?
I have been following this story for 5 years, and am stillhopeful for a positive outcome for Jamaica.
Below are UOG’s resource assessments for the prospects in their license area.
