Sable Offshore Corp., a Houston-based oil company, has formally requested that the federal government exercise eminent domain to seize multiple properties in California to maintain operations on its Santa Barbara oil pipeline system. The company made the appeal in a June 2 letter to the Department of Energy, urging President Donald Trump to authorize the takeover of state-owned lands, private property, and parts of a state park as part of its proposal to establish a West Coast Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
The lands targeted for potential seizure include approximately three miles of submerged state-owned territory off the Santa Barbara coast, about four miles of pipeline passage through Gaviota State Park, and a privately held undeveloped parcel north of Buellton. The company is currently engaged in a legal dispute with the private landowner of the latter property.
Sable Offshore’s request represents a significant intensification of its ongoing legal conflict with California state officials, who have sought to halt pipeline operations due to environmental concerns and disagreements over permitting. The company, which operates a critical infrastructure pipeline along the California coast, argues that federal intervention is necessary to protect its interests and support national energy objectives.
Environmental advocates have sharply criticized the proposal, characterizing it as an improper use of federal authority. Talia Nimmer, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, described the potential seizure of part of Gaviota State Park as “an unlawful and utterly outrageous abuse of federal power,” emphasizing the ecological and public value of the area that would be affected.
The controversy highlights the broader tensions between state regulatory efforts aimed at protecting environmental resources and the interests of energy companies pursuing continued extraction and transport operations. California officials have consistently prioritized environmental protections and regulatory compliance, while Sable Offshore and its supporters argue for federal support to sustain energy infrastructure critical to national reserves.
As of this writing, the Department of Energy has not commented publicly on the request. It remains unclear whether the federal government will move forward with eminent domain actions to facilitate the establishment of the West Coast Strategic Petroleum Reserve, a plan that has attracted scrutiny amid ongoing debates over energy policy and environmental stewardship in California.