Sable Requests Transfer of Las Flores Pipeline Oversight from State Fire Marshall to Federal Regulator
Sable Offshore Corp. requested that the federal government take regulatory oversight of the pipeline system critical to its restart of oil production in the Santa Ynez Unit. The California Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) currently has oversight of the pipeline.
In an 8-K filing on November 26, 2025, Sable stated that it determined that the 122-mile Las Flores Pipeline System, which connects the Santa Ynez Unit to the Pentland Station terminal in Kern County, was an interstate pipeline under the Pipeline Safety Act. The federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) would then have regulatory oversight over the pipeline. Sable did not state its reasoning for its determination.
Sable requested that the PHMSA agree with its assessment and provide “guidance on the orderly transition of regulatory oversight from the California Office of the State Fire Marshal to PHMSA.”
Sable also stated that it continues to pursue an offshore storage and treating (OS&T) vessel strategy and continues to work to “safely and responsibly resume petroleum transportation through its onshore pipeline facilities as part of its publicized dual option offtake strategy.” In September, Sable requested federal approval to use an OS&T vessel and shuttle tankers to ship crude oil produced on federal leases from the Santa Ynez Unit.
The request comes after the OSFM sent a letter to Sable in October stating that it had not met all requirements to restart the pipeline. (see State Fire Marshall Delays Approval of Sable Restart Plan.)