Federal Judge Allows Sable Offshore to Continue Oil Production Despite Consent Decree Violations

A federal judge has modified an existing court order to allow Sable Offshore to continue oil production operations in California, despite previous violations of a consent decree.

The consent decree was agreed upon by Plains All American Pipeline in 2015 after a massive oil spill from a ruptured pipeline. The agreement required state regulators to approve restart plans for the onshore pipelines before resuming operation.

Sable Offshore purchased the Santa Ynez Unit, which includes the pipelines, and attempted to restart operations without complying with the consent decree conditions. In December 2025, Sable informed investors that it believed the pipelines were technically interstate pipelines under the Pipeline Safety Act, requesting federal regulators take over restart plans.

The Department of Transportation agreed with Sable's assessment and asserted its authority over restart plans in mid-December. On March 13, 2026, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright issued an order forcing the restart of oil production under the Defense Production Act of 1950, citing national security purposes.