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Sable Offshore Restarts Operations at First of Three Structures at Santa Ynez Unit, Marking End of Decade of Inactivity After Spill.
Sable Offshore, a Texas-based oil company, has resumed oil production at an offshore platform off the coast of California. Production had been halted for a decade. Two more platforms still need to be reactivated. The interruption occurred in May 2015. A corroded onshore pipeline ruptured, releasing oil near Refugio State Beach.
The Return of Production at Harmony Offshore Platform
Sable Offshore owns a pipeline. It will transport hydrocarbons from three connected offshore platforms. According to Offshore Energy, the company has resumed production at the first of the three structures at Santa Ynez Unit. Production was halted in May 2015. At that time, a corroded onshore pipeline ruptured. Approximately 450,000 gallons (1,703.44 cubic meters) of oil spilled near Refugio State Beach, north of Santa Barbara.
On May 15, 2025, Sable started production flow. Six wells on the Harmony offshore platform of the Santa Ynez Unit (SYU) resumed operation. The oil is heading to Las Flores Canyon (LFC). The initial rate is about 6,000 barrels of oil per day. Prior to that, the company tested wells on the platform throughout May 2025. They demonstrated consistent performance better than on May 19, 2015. On that date, before the halt, the SYU produced approximately 45,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.
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Plans for the Heritage and Hondo Offshore Platforms
About 30% of the 32 producing wells on the Harmony platform were tested by May 18, 2025. The remaining wells are expected to be tested in the coming days. Sable Offshore expects to start production from the additional 44 wells on the Heritage offshore platform in July 2025. The additional 26 wells on the Hondo offshore platform are expected to start producing in August 2025.
Leadership’s Word and Conclusion of Essential Repairs
Jim Flores, President and CEO of Sable, commented on the achievement. “SOC is proud to have safely and responsibly achieved the first production at the Santa Ynez Unit,” he said. He added, “The impressive well testing from the Harmony platform confirms the prolific nature of the Santa Ynez Unit reservoir after ten years of inactivity. SOC is excited about our development plan and the prospects for the future.” Flores also thanked employees, contractors, the Board of Directors, stakeholders, suppliers, the local community, and regulatory bodies.
The flow of oil to Las Flores Canyon occurs following the completion of repairs. Anomalies in Gaviota State Park, in the Las Flores Pipeline System, were corrected on May 18, 2025. This concluded the company’s anomaly repair program on the onshore pipeline. Seven of the eight sections of the pipeline have already been hydrotested. Sable will complete the last hydrotest soon. This will meet the final operational condition to restart the onshore pipeline. The company expects to fill approximately 540,000 barrels of crude oil storage capacity at LFC by mid-June 2025. Oil sales are expected to restart in July 2025.
Legal and Environmental Context of Offshore Exploration in California
The resumption of oil production comes weeks after a lawsuit. The Center for Biological Diversity and the Wishtoyo Chumash Foundation sued the Trump administration. The suit was filed in Federal District Court in Los Angeles. They allege a supposed federal failure to require updated development and production plans for the Santa Ynez Unit.
The Trump administration repeatedly promised to “drill, drill, drill.” President Donald Trump issued an executive order on his first day in office. The order revoked former President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw certain ocean areas from future oil and gas leases. Several groups are involved in a lawsuit challenging this order.
California has three other offshore oil platforms operating off the coast of Orange County. They are: Eva, Emmy, and Ester, built between 1963 and 1985. The state is preparing to achieve net-zero carbon emissions. It is also seeking 100% clean electricity by 2045.
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