(World Oil) – California’s Natural Resources Agency has ordered Houston-based oil driller Sable Offshore Corp. to remove a pipeline crossing a state park days after the US government instructed the company to begin pumping crude through the conduit.
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright, following an executive order signed by President Donald Trump, directed Sable on Friday to begin restoring operations for the Santa Ynez Unit and Santa Ynez Pipeline System in California. The company has been in a yearslong effort to start pumping hundreds of millions of barrels of oil from platforms off the Santa Barbara coast but has been stymied by local opposition.
Sable notified the Santa Barbara County Fire Department Friday of its plans to “resume pumping operations within 24 hours,” according to Chief Garrett Huff.
Since then, California State Parks sent a letter to Sable denying an easement request for a portion of the pipeline that crosses Gaviota State Park land and demanding that the conduit be removed, according to the letter seen by Bloomberg. Sable has 10 days to formally respond with plans to remove the pipeline segment before the division of California’s Natural Resources Agency takes legal action, the letter from Chief Counsel Tara E. Lynch said.
The agency will withdraw its letter if Sable confirms by noon local time on Monday that it has not restarted oil flows through Line 325 that crosses the state park and will not restart until all state permissions are granted, according to the Saturday letter.
Sable did not immediately respond to questions on whether the company has restarted the pipeline and intends to comply with the state agency’s demands.
