Front Page  »  

Sable Offshore seeks Trump’s help to seize land for pipeline

July 8, 2026

By KAREN VELIE

In the ongoing battle over pumping oil off the coast of Santa Barbara and transporting it through the Santa Ynez pipeline system, Sable Offshore is now asking the Trump administration to exercise eminent domain over state and private lands.

While state officials and environmental groups attempt to shut down oil drilling off the coast of Santa Barbara through permitting disputes and legal actions, on June 2, Sable sent a letter to the US Department of Energy asking it to consider eminent domain to condemn multiple properties tied to the disputes.

These properties include approxamatly three miles of state-owned land off the Santa Barbara coast, roughly four miles where pipeline crosses through Gaviota State Park, and a privately owned parcel of land near Buellton.

In 2015, a pipe owned by Plains All American Pipeline ruptured near Refugio State Beach in Santa Barbara County, causing more than 100,000 gallons of oil to spill. The spill led to the closure of the three offshore drilling platforms and the pipeline, which are now owned by Sable.

On March 13, President Donald Trump directed Sable to resume oil production off the coast of Santa Barbara under the Defense Production Act. Sable Offshore had been unable to produce oil because of ongoing disagreements over permitting its Santa Ynez pipeline.

Shortly afterwards, Sable began selling oil pumped off the coast of Santa Barbara and transported through the Santa Ynez pipeline system.

Sable’s production of 50,000 barrels of oil per day is a “a 15% increase to California’s in-state oil production, that can replace nearly 1.5 million barrels of foreign crude each month,” according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s statement in March.

In the past, Congress has granted eminent domain actions for energy infrastructure projects, including pipelines. Even so, an eminent domain action for a private company will likely lead to a legal challenge.

Because we believe the public needs the facts, the truth, CalCoastNews has not put up a paywall because it limits readership. However, we are seeking qualification as a paper of record, which will allow us to publish public notices, this requires 5,000 paid subscribers.

Your subscription will help us to continue investigating and reporting the news.

Support CalCoastNews, subscribe today, click here.

 


Loading...
Subjects:             
Related:


5 Comments

So a land grab using eminent domain is OK now? By the Feds no less! I hear crickets. I bet it won’t be so quiet when this provision is used for a solar field, wind farm, or biodiesel facility.

That 10th Amendment States rights argument was so 2010.


2

Another bit of Data for California oil reserves off our Coast. We have 200 million barrels of proven oil reserves off of our Coast and 10.3 billion barrels of undiscovered but technically recoverable oil. The amount of money the State of California is losing is breathtaking and criminal! Our budget shortfall in Sacramento continues to grow and taxing Californian’s continues unabated and there’s no reason it should be happening but for the policies of Sacramento! Stop voting for these Wackos, AKA the “Hate America” crowd ie Democrats and bring common sense back to our State! It’s for your own survival


26

Another example of the “Environmentalist Wackos” causing this State to have the highest Gas prices in the Country! We have an ocean of oil and natural gas off of our coast yet we import 77% of our oil from outside our State. California uses 33 million gallons a day of gasoline and about 9% of the entire County’s gasoline consumption.We all suffer because of these wacko environmentalists and their willing accomplices in Sacramento continue their “Jihad” against the Citizens of the State! The “Hate America” Democrat Party continues its assault on our State and until people stop voting for these Wackos they will continue their war against average Californians.


19

I surf that part of the coast from Jalama to El Cap. The coast was fouled up for a minute and the responsible parties cleaned it all up. The ECO crazies have painted a picture of armageddon caused by the pipe line rupture. I’ve surfed there since. It’s totally pristine like before. Beautiful place. Californians burn a ton of oil but don’t want to harvest their share. We have SO much. Drill and refine your own gas California!


29

Importing foreign crude is soooo environmental.


41