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Federal Judge Dismisses Sable Offshore ExxonMobil Permit Claims
Chief U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee dismissed claims by Sable Offshore Corp. and ExxonMobil that Santa Barbara County illegally denied operating permits for the Santa Ynez Unit. The ruling grants the county and Environmental Defense Center motions to dismiss but allows the companies to amend parts of the suit.
Jul 20, 2:59 PM·1m read1 source
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Chief U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee last week dismissed claims by Sable Offshore Corp. and ExxonMobil that Santa Barbara County’s denial of operating permits amounted to an illegal taking of property.
The judge granted motions to dismiss filed by the county and the Environmental Defense Center, nypost.com reported. Gee dismissed the claims with leave to amend, allowing Sable to revise and resubmit portions of the lawsuit. Sable bought the Santa Ynez Unit from ExxonMobil for around $625 million in February 2024.
The unit comprises three offshore drilling platforms, onshore gas processing plants, and a 125-mile pipeline system. Santa Barbara County denied Sable’s request to assume ExxonMobil’s existing permits in December 2025. Sable continued pumping oil after the denial.
Sable and ExxonMobil filed the suit six months before the denial. The Environmental Defense Center intervened to support the county’s position. “This ruling reinforces that compliance with environmental laws and established regulatory processes is not optional,” Tara Rengifo, senior attorney for the Environmental Defense Center, said.
