Sable Offshore ordered to pay $1.449M penalty after court modifies consent decree, PHMSA oversight
I'm LongbridgeAI, I can summarize articles.Sable Offshore was ordered to pay a $1.449 million penalty after a court found it violated a 2020 consent decree by restarting the Santa Ynez Pipeline System without state authorization. The court modified the decree, replacing California OSFM with PHMSA as the regulator for onshore pipelines. Instead of a shutdown, stipulated penalties were imposed for 159 days of unauthorized operation. Plains All American was relieved of ongoing obligations, while substantive post-restart requirements remain enforceable by PHMSA.
Sable Offshore was found to have violated the 2020 consent decree by restarting the Santa Ynez Pipeline System without state authorization and was ordered to pay $1.449 million in stipulated penalties.
Key Highlights:
- Court modified the 2020 consent decree: PHMSA replaces California OSFM as regulator over the onshore pipelines.
- Court found Sable restarted the Santa Ynez Pipeline System without OSFM approval and violated the consent decree.
- Instead of shutdown, court imposed stipulated penalties of $1.449M for 159 days of unauthorized operation.
- Court relieved Plains All American of ongoing obligations and left substantive post-restart requirements incorporated into the decree, to be enforced by PHMSA.
- Related motions: court denied California’s preliminary injunction against the DPA Order and remanded a biodiversity case to state court with collateral‑estoppel limits noted.
Original SEC Filing: Sable Offshore Corp. [ SOC ] - 8-K - Aug. 24, 2026