California Judge Blocks Oil Operations

A judge in California has decided that Sable Offshore Corp., the company that President Donald Trump was relying on for oil production, cannot restart its operations.

Judge Donna Geck of the Santa Barbara Superior Court stated that the state’s injunction against the company remains in effect, effectively preventing it from resuming operations. This ruling is seen as a win for environmental advocates and California Governor Gavin Newsom.

“California courts confirmed what we have said all along: Mr. Trump and his big oil donors are not above the law,” Newsom commented in response to the ruling.

Earlier in March, Trump had signed an executive order aimed at restarting oil drilling off Southern California’s coast, claiming it was necessary for national energy security. This order referenced the Cold War-era Defense Production Act due to concerns that a potential conflict with Iran might affect oil supplies.

Following the executive order, Sable Offshore had moved to resume its operations at the Santa Ynez offshore oil platform and pipeline near Santa Barbara. This pipeline had been shut down back in 2015 due to a significant spill that leaked thousands of barrels of crude oil into the Pacific Ocean.

The Department of Energy suggested that restarting operations at the Santa Ynez pipeline could increase California’s oil production by 15%, which would replace around 1.5 million barrels of foreign crude oil each month.

Environmentalists and some Democrats criticized Trump’s order as “unlawful,” insisting that the company needed state regulatory approval to restart operations. They sought a preliminary injunction, which was granted in February.

Sable Offshore contended that Trump’s order under the Defense Production Act bypassed the court’s injunction. However, Judge Geck sided with the opposing view in her ruling.

“The fact that oil is flowing through these pipelines every day indicates that Sable is violating the court’s preliminary injunction,” stated Talia Nimmer, an attorney from the Center for Biological Diversity.

The California Post reached out to Sable Offshore’s public relations team for a statement and also sent inquiries to the Department of Energy about the possible restart of the Santa Ynez facility.

A hearing is set for May 22 to determine whether Sable should face contempt of court charges, which could lead to financial penalties and other enforcement actions.