A Santa Barbara Superior Court judge blocked Sable Offshore Corp. from restarting its California offshore oil operations, ruling that an existing state injunction remains in force. Judge Donna Geck's order hands a win to environmental groups and California's governor, who had opposed the restart. The ruling directly undercuts the Trump administration's effort to use Sable as a vehicle for reviving California oil production. The core dispute is whether Sable had legal authority to resume operations despite the standing injunction. The court said it did not. The company now faces an uncertain path forward, with its restart plans stalled pending further legal proceedings.
Latest development
Media Coverage · April 19, 2026
Santa Barbara Superior Court Judge Donna Geck ruled that Sable Offshore Corp. lacked authority to restart its California offshore oil operations, leaving a state injunction in place that blocks the project. The ruling hands a direct loss to Sable and to the Trump administration, which had backed the restart as part of its energy push in California. Environmental groups and Governor Gavin Newsom claimed the win, with
newspaper Read articleSanta Barbara judge issues key ruling that puts California offshore oil project at risk A California judge has ruled Sable Offshore Corp. — the company Donald Trump is using to give the state an oil lifeline — did not have the authority to restart its operations. Judge Donna Geck of the Santa Barbara Superior Court said a state injunction on the gas giant is still in place, blocking its operations from restarting and handing a win to environmental groups and California’s Gov. “A California court
Open original open_in_newJuryvine summaries are generated from court records. Expand "Source" on any row to see the underlying filing.
Santa Barbara Superior Court Judge Donna Geck ruled that Sable Offshore Corp. lacked authority to restart its California offshore oil operations, leaving a state injunction in place that blocks the project. The ruling hands a direct loss to Sable and to the Trump administration, which had backed the restart as part of its energy push in California. Environmental groups and Governor Gavin Newsom claimed the win, with Newsom framing it as a check on federal interference with state law.
Santa Barbara judge issues key ruling that puts California offshore oil project at risk A California judge has ruled Sable Offshore Corp. — the company Donald Trump is using to …
Sources tracked
1 outlet · 1 article
Timeline events
1 record on file
Last updated
1 day, 12 hours ago
Juryvine aggregates docket entries from PACER/CourtListener, press coverage, and GDELT signals. Ingestion timestamps do not appear in the What Changed feed — that reflects real court activity only.