Posted in California, energy policy, Offshore Energy - General, Regulation, tagged California, Chris Wright, Doug Burgum, finances, oil and gas reserves, production, Sable Offshore, Santa Ynez Unit, update on June 4, 2026| Leave a Comment »
Those who have been following the Santa Ynez Unit saga should take a look at Sable’s informative PowerPoint update (attached). The presentation includes reserve data, well operation plans, production forecasts, financial and legal updates, and regional energy supply information.
Also, Sable CEO Jim Flores has announced that Energy Secretary Wright and Interior Secretary Burgum will be visiting the project this week. Transportation Secretary Duffy was also expected, but he will not be attending.
Posted in California, Offshore Energy - General, pipelines, Regulation, tagged California, Gaviota State Park, Judge Stephen Wilson, no imminent harm, Sable Offshore on May 28, 2026| Leave a Comment »
Sable Offshore (SOC) surged 12% on Thursday. Here’s why:
Judge Stephen V. Wilson, US District Court for the Central District of California ruled that Sable’s pipeline doesn’t imminently harm Gaviota Park. Judge Wilson said the state “is grasping at straws,” for evidence of real environmental harm, and the federal consent decree governing the terms of the system’s restart is controlled by the California Office of the State Fire Marshall, not the parks department.
The judge didn’t rule on the larger question of whether the Defense Production Act order to restart the Las Flores pipeline system was lawful.
Posted in California, Offshore Energy - General, Regulation, tagged BOEM, CBD, Development Plans, dismissal, Justice Dept., litigation, Sable Offshore, Santa Ynez Unit, US Dept. of the Interior on May 19, 2026| Leave a Comment »
On 5/14/2026, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California dismissed the complaint filed by the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) against the Dept. of the Interior. This was one of the less prominent cases challenging Sable Offshore’s oil and gas operations in the Santa Ynez Unit.
The CBD had challenged an April 2025 BOEM decision concluding that Sable was not required to revise its development and production plan for the SYU. They sought a court order requiring a revised plan. This suit seemed to be a stretch, so its dismissal is not a surprise.
Per the Dept. of Justice, the court dismissed the lawsuit because the plaintiffs’ asserted procedural injury had no basis in the statute, was not traceable to any action by BOEM, and could not be redressed by an order of the court. (Other than that, it was just fine. 😉)
Among other problems the court identified with the plaintiffs’ case, they invoked a provision of the statute that governs “approval of a development and production plan,” not revision of an already-existing plan. It will be interesting to see the full decision so that we can better understand the context for that statement. Distinguishing revised plans in that manner could have significant policy implications.
For a full update on Sable litigation, see the section of their Quarterly Report beginning on p. 12.
Posted in California, energy policy, Offshore Energy - General, pipelines, Regulation, tagged AG Rob Bonta, Chris Wright, irreparable harm, litigation, production restart, Sable Offshore on May 8, 2026| 1 Comment »
California Attorney General Bonta asks the Court to stay Energy Secretary Wright’s Order directing Sable, under the Defense Production Act to restart production and preliminarily enjoin Defendants, and all those acting in concert with Defendants (i.e. Sable), from enforcing or relying on it. See the attached Federal Court filing.
The AG’s irreparable harm and public interest arguments seem particularly weak, and this may not be the best time to attempt to halt a 20+% increase in California oil production.
Posted in California, Regulation, tagged California Coastal Commission, launches, Sable Offshore, SpaceX, Vandenberg, written apology on May 4, 2026| Leave a Comment »
An apology letter from the California Coastal Commission (CCC) to SpaceX was part of a lawsuit settlement. SpaceX alleged political bias in the commission’s 2024 decision to deny increased Falcon 9 launches at Vandenberg Space Force Base, based on comments about Elon Musk’s political views and SpaceX’s labor practices.
Excerpt:
“In 2024, the Commission reviewed consistency determinations by the U.S. Space Force for SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launch program at Vandenberg Space Force Base. During that review, some Commissioners made negative comments about SpaceX’s labor practices and its Chief Executive Officer’s political views. The Commission acknowledges that these political comments were irrelevant to the Commission’s consistency review and were improper, and the Commissioners apologize for those comments.”
AI confirms my suspicions that formal CCC apologies are highly unusual 😉
Posted in California, Gulf of Mexico, Offshore Energy - General, tagged 2025 vs. 2019, California oil production, Gulf of America, record oil production, Sable Offshore on May 4, 2026| Leave a Comment »
Update: Another EIA revision to Gulf of America oil production for Dec. 2025 (1.994 to 1.985 million bopd) means that 2019 retains the production record by the narrowest of margins – 1.898 to 1.897 million bopd. Stay tuned because this may not be the final word 😉.
Per EIA, Feb. 2026 production dipped a bit to 1.931 million bopd (chart below).
Meanwhile, California OCS oil production for FEB continued at about 10,000 bopd. This number may increase a bit for March, and more for April data when the first Sable sales are included. A big increase, by as much as 500%, should be apparent in the June report barring a court ordered shutdown.
Posted in California, Offshore Energy - General, tagged compensation, Jim Flores, PowerPoint, Sable Offshore, update on May 2, 2026| Leave a Comment »
Sable’s updated PowerPoint presentation is attached.
Also, the 2025 compensation package for Sable CEO Jim Flores is attracting attention. Flores received $76 million in total compensation. The bulk of his pay came from more than $69 million in stock awards, alongside a $1.3 million salary and a $3.9 million bonus.
Posted in California, energy policy, Offshore Energy - General, pipelines, Regulation, tagged consent decree, DPA, injunction, Judge Geck, Las Flores Pipeline, OSFM, PHMSA, Sable Offshore, Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez Unit on April 21, 2026| Leave a Comment »
California Superior Court Judge Donna Geck denies Sable’s motion to lift the preliminary injunction.
(1) For the reasons set forth herein, the motion of real parties in interest Sable Offshore Corp. and Pacific Pipeline Company to dissolve or modify the preliminary injunction issued in this case is denied.
(2) The application of petitioners for issuance of an order to show cause why real parties should not be found in contempt and to enter additional orders is continued to May 22, 2026.
The Judge concluded:
On May 22, Judge Geck will consider whether Sable should be held in contempt for not complying with the preliminary injunction.
If you haven’t been keeping up 😉:
Undaunted, Sable reports (4/20/2026):
Hence, Sable production is estimated to reach ~60,000 bopd in June, which is about 6 times total California OCS production prior to the Sable restart!
Posted in California, energy policy, Offshore Energy - General, pipelines, tagged 50 year saga, BSEE, Jim Flores, oil sales, Sable Offshore, Santa Ynez Unit on March 31, 2026| Leave a Comment »
Sable Offshore Corp. (3/30/2026) today announced that on March 29, 2026, Sable initiated oil sales. The Santa Ynez Pipeline System was filled from Las Flores Canyon to Pentland Station at a rate in excess of 50,000 barrels of oil per day.
At the Santa Ynez Unit, Platform Harmony is currently producing approximately 22,000 gross barrels of oil per day. Additionally, the United States Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement has completed its final pre-restart inspection of Platform Heritage. Sable plans to commence production restart at Platform Heritage today at an expected total rate of over 30,000 gross barrels of oil per day. We expect Platform Hondo to be online by the end of the second quarter of 2026 at a rate in excess of 10,000 barrels of oil per day.
Sable Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Jim Flores, said “Sable is proud to announce oil sales through the Santa Ynez Pipeline System to Chevron. In doing so, we are providing American oil from American soil through an American pipeline to an American refinery for American consumers and the United States military.
A wild month in the 50 year Santa Ynez Unit saga is ending with a flourish. The wind is at Sable’s back, but storm clouds are on the horizon.
Bud's Offshore Energy (BOE) 
Comments from the California AG and Sable Offshore on the special permit application to PHMSA
Posted in California, energy policy, Offshore Energy - General, pipelines, Regulation, tagged California AG, comment letters, PHMSA, pipeline, Rob Bonta, Sable Offshore, Santa Ynez Unit, special permit on April 8, 2026| 2 Comments »
I’m attaching the complete comment letters from Sable Offshore and their main antagonist, California Attorney General Bonta, in response to PHMSA’s public notice and request for comments on Sable’s special permit application.
Summary of the California AG’s assertions:
“First, PHMSA is without authority to grant such a special permit because Lines CA-324/325 are intrastate pipelines and California regulators have sole regulatory oversight over any attempt to restart these Lines and issue state waivers. Second, California has vested interests in ensuring Lines CA-324/325 operate safely and PHMSA’s proposed special permit would dilute the higher state safety standards that were imposed on Sable and therefore it is inconsistent with pipeline safety. 49 C.F.R. § 190.341(d). Third, given the fact Line CA-324 already failed and caused a catastrophic oil spill in 2015 in Santa Barbara County, even if PHMSA had authority to issue a special permit (which it does not), a more robust environmental analysis needs to be performed. Fourth, PHMSA unlawfully invokes the Endangered Species Acts’s emergency consultation procedures and has given no indication that it will consult with the National Marine Fisheries Service, in violation of the Act. Finally, Secretary Wright’s March 13, 2026, order (“DPA
Order”) does not change anything about the propriety of the Application, because the DPA Order itself is unlawful.”
Summary of Sable’s position (screenshot):
You can sample the other public comments, some of which are quite good, by visiting the Regulations.gov docket.
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