A growing battle between California regulators and energy producer Sable Offshore intensified this week as the California Coastal Commission threatened to shut down the company’s crude oil extraction operations in the Santa Barbara Channel, alleging that the firm restarted pipeline activity without obtaining a required state permit.
In a letter sent to Sable executives, Coastal Commission Executive Director Kate Huckelbridge warned that regulators are prepared to take additional enforcement action if the dispute cannot be resolved through negotiations.
“These violations can be resolved amicably,” Huckelbridge wrote to Steve Rusch, Sable’s vice president of Regulatory and Environmental Affairs.
She added that if a settlement cannot be reached, the commission would move forward with enforcement measures through unilateral orders considered at a formal hearing.
According to the Santa Barbara News-Press, the commission’s 16-page letter warned that penalties could continue accumulating for as long as regulators determine the alleged violations remain unresolved.
The latest confrontation represents another chapter in a long-running dispute over offshore oil operations along California’s coastline. The conflict has drawn in state regulators, federal officials, environmental groups, and energy interests, turning Sable into a focal point of a broader debate over energy production, environmental protection, and government authority.
While environmental advocates have applauded the commission’s actions, the matter has also taken on national significance because federal officials previously supported restarting pipeline operations. According to the report, federal authorities directed the resumption of activity in part to help maintain military readiness amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.
That intersection between energy infrastructure and national security concerns has further complicated an already contentious situation.
At the center of the dispute is the Santa Barbara Channel and the lingering fallout from the catastrophic Refugio oil spill in 2015. Since then, questions surrounding pipeline safety, environmental oversight, and offshore production have remained highly controversial throughout the region.
Tensions escalated further earlier this year when President Donald Trump signed an executive order allowing the Houston-based company to begin pumping oil through the Santa Barbara coastline. The move placed Sable squarely in the middle of a legal and regulatory conflict involving both California officials and the federal government.
Governor Gavin Newsom has emerged as one of the company’s most prominent opponents. According to the report, the governor is seeking to halt operations and remove portions of Sable’s pipeline network in an effort to prevent future environmental incidents.
State regulators have already taken significant action against the company. The Coastal Commission previously imposed an $18 million penalty against Sable, described as the largest fine in the agency’s history. Regulators alleged that the company ignored cease-and-desist orders and carried out repair work without proper authorization.
Sable is also facing 21 criminal charges and multiple lawsuits from Santa Barbara County related to alleged unpermitted excavations and other violations.
Environmental activists welcomed the prospect of additional enforcement measures.
Linda Krop, chief counsel for the Santa Barbara-based Environmental Defense Center, said the latest warning demonstrates that regulators continue to view Sable as out of compliance with state law.
“Once again, Sable is being put on notice that they are violating the law,” Krop said.
She argued that previous legal actions, including criminal charges, lawsuits, and the record-setting fine, have not changed the company’s behavior. Krop also accused Sable of disregarding a newer state law that requires permits before restarting inactive oil facilities, including the pipeline at the center of the dispute.
With multiple lawsuits ongoing and regulators signaling a willingness to pursue additional penalties, the standoff between California officials and Sable Offshore shows no sign of ending anytime soon.
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