A federal judge denied Sable Offshore Corp.’s request that Santa Barbara County immediately transfer the permits to operate the Santa Ynez Unit from Exxon to Sable. The judge then ordered the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors to hold on public hearing on the matter.
The transfer of permits from ExxonMobil to Sable is a key step in restarting the Santa Ynez Unit, which has been shut since the 2015 Refugio oil spill. Sable’s request for immediate transfer of the permits is part of its ongoing lawsuit against Santa Barbara County over the deadlocked vote in the Board of Supervisors over the permit transfer.
In February 2025, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors deadlocked in a 2-2 vote on approving the transfer of oil pipeline and offshore platforms permits from ExxonMobil to Sable Offshore Corp. Both Sable and environmental groups declared victory, but county officials were unsure of what the deadlock meant. The tie vote led to no action on the permit transfer.
Prior to the vote by the Board of Supervisors, the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission voted 3-1 to approve the transfer in October 2024. An appeal from environmental groups sent the decision to the Board of Supervisors, where the issues stands.