Texas firm is pursuing an offshore oil end run

Facing mounting legal troubles and regulatory hurdles, the Texas-based firm trying to restart offshore oil production along Santa Barbara’s coast is now considering a plan that would keep its controversial project entirely in federal waters — a move that appears to avoid further California oversight.

- BY GRACE TOOHEY

MICHAEL OWEN BAKER For The Times SABLE OFFSHORE Corp.'s Harmony oil platform is visible off the coast of Refugio State Beach.

Sable Offshore Corp. announced Monday that it has started to pursue an option that would utilize an “offshore floating and treatment vessel” to treat and transport crude oil, instead of relying on a network of pipelines for which the company still needs some key approvals to operate.

The pivot would be a major shift in Sable’s push to bring the pipelines back on line. The lines have sat idle since 2015, when a corroded section ruptured near Refugio State Beach, creating one of the state’s worst oil spills. State officials and local environmentalists have repeatedly raised concerns about the pipes’ capacity to run safely, as well as the process the company has taken to try to fast-track their revitalization over the last year.

Sable’s announcement comes roughly a week after Santa Barbara County prosecutors filed criminal charges against the company, alleging it knowingly violated state environmental laws while completing pipeline repairs, and months after the California Coastal Commission found that the company failed to adhere to the state’s Coastal Act despite repeated warnings, and fined it $18 million.

Sable continues to contend it has followed all necessary protocols and met all legal requirements. Both issues remain tied up in court.