Overview
- Energy Secretary Chris Wright invoked the Defense Production Act on March 13 and directed Sable Offshore to restart operations, prompting the company to begin transporting oil on March 14.
- Sable says it will start first sales by about April 1 at roughly 50,000 barrels per day, ramping production from platforms in federal waters after years of shutdown following the 2015 spill.
- California State Parks denied an easement through Gaviota State Park and ordered removal of a four‑mile pipeline segment, while Sable filed a federal lawsuit seeking confirmation of its rights under the DPA order.
- A March 3 Justice Department opinion concluded a DPA directive could preempt state law and a 2020 consent decree that had required State Fire Marshal approval before any restart.
- A federal court ordered the Interior Department and its safety bureau to produce emails, texts and meeting notes about the lease extension and restart as California leaders and environmental groups challenge the federal intervention.