Overview

• Sable Offshore faces five felony counts under the California Water Code and 16 misdemeanors tied to repair work conducted from September 2024 through April 2025.
• Prosecutors allege dredged or fill material was placed into protected waterways considered waters of the United States, including Nojoqui Creek, Arroyo Quemado and Asphaltum Creek.
• The company rejects the allegations as politically motivated and extremely misleading, saying work was overseen by certified biologists and state officials with no wildlife harmed.
• The California Coastal Commission previously issued a notice of violation and halted some work, while the federal BSEE later praised a production restart, prompting a critical letter from California lawmakers.
• The charges intensify scrutiny of Sable’s push to restart the Santa Ynez Unit acquired from ExxonMobil in 2024, as investor class actions and Coastal Act lawsuits continue following the 2015 Refugio spill legacy.