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.

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