Sable Offshore Corp. has formally requested that the Trump administration consider using federal eminent domain powers to seize state-owned land, private property, and a portion of a state park to facilitate the operation of its Santa Barbara oil pipeline system. The request, detailed in a leaked June 2 letter, marks a significant escalation in the company's protracted legal battle with California officials over environmental and permitting issues.
According to reports, Sable is urging the Department of Energy to condemn properties along its pipeline route as part of a proposed West Coast Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Among the parcels reportedly identified for potential seizure are roughly three miles of state-owned submerged lands off the Santa Barbara coast, approximately four miles of pipeline crossing through Gaviota State Park, and a private undeveloped parcel north of Buellton.
This move follows Sable's restart of oil production earlier this year, which relied on emergency federal approvals from the Trump administration. California has challenged this restart in court and continues to pursue enforcement actions against the company. The dispute centers on the pipeline network that ruptured in 2015, spilling more than 100,000 gallons of crude oil. Sable acquired the assets from ExxonMobil in 2024 with plans to resume operations.
The company has maintained that federal authority preempts California's attempts to regulate its offshore oil operations, a legal argument that has been central to its strategy. The latest proposal would deepen federal involvement in the company's infrastructure.
While federal law allows the government to exercise eminent domain for public use with just compensation, using these powers to condemn state-owned land or property primarily benefiting a private company could face significant legal hurdles. Such actions would likely ignite a protracted legal conflict concerning federal authority and states' rights. Legal experts generally note that eminent domain powers are typically tied to specific statutory authority and must satisfy constitutional public-use requirements.
Environmental groups have strongly criticized the reported proposal. Talia Nimmer, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, described the idea of seizing parkland for a private oil company as an "unlawful and utterly outrageous abuse of federal power." She added, "California's coast took a massive hit from this pipeline system’s last leak, and we'll fight to protect our ocean from another massive oil spill."
Sable Offshore and the Department of Energy have been contacted for comment.