Sable Resumes Oil Transport at California Unit

HOUSTON, TX (DTN) — Sable Offshore announced Monday (3/16) that it has resumed transporting crude oil from its Santa Ynez Unit off the California coast, following a federal order that directs the company to restart oil production and pipeline operations in the region.

Texas-based Sable began shipments from Las Flores Canyon to Pentland Station on March 14, according to a company statement.

The company expects to commence first sales by April 1, 2026, at an estimated 50,000 bpd, representing a nearly 17% increase in California’s domestic crude supply. This production would replace 1.5 million bbl of foreign crude imports.

On Friday (3/16), U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order reversing a ban on offshore oil and gas drilling covering vast areas of the U.S. coastlines and was approved by former President Joe Biden in January 2025.

Trump’s federal order invoked the Defense Production Act of 1950, allowing Sable to immediately prioritize pipeline transportation of hydrocarbons through the Santa Ynez Pipeline System, citing energy scarcity risks and U.S. military dependence on foreign oil caused by California state policies. The move came amid supply disruptions caused by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz during the U.S.-Israel-Iran war.

Full production resumption at Platforms Harmony and Heritage is anticipated this month, with Platform Hondo expected online by June 2026.

Sable also filed a federal lawsuit against the California Department of Parks and Recreation on March 13 to defend its rights under the DPA Order.