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Commitments and Contingencies
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies
Note 8 — Commitments and Contingencies

Registration Rights

The holders of the Founder Shares (defined below), Private Placement Warrants and Working Capital Warrants (and any shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of such instruments) are entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration rights agreement. The holders of these securities are entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form demands, that the Company register such securities. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to the completion of a Business Combination. However, the registration rights agreement provides that the Company will not permit any registration statement filed under the Securities Act to become effective until termination of the applicable lockup period. The Company will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.

Grey Fox Matter

On March 26, 2024, Sable entered into a Stipulation and Agreement of Settlement (the “Settlement Agreement”) among (i) Grey Fox, LLC, MAZ Properties, Inc., Bean Blossom, LLC, Winter Hawk, LLC, Mark Tautrim, Trustee of the Mark Tautrim Revocable Trust, and Denise McNutt, on behalf of themselves and the Court-certified Settlement Class (the “Plaintiffs and Settlement Class Members”), (ii) Pacific Pipeline Company (“PPC”) and (iii) Sable, with respect to the settlement and release of certain claims related to the Pipelines, including claims impacting the right of way for the Pipelines (collectively, the “Released Claims”).

Pursuant to the terms of the Settlement Agreement, (i) the Plaintiffs and Settlement Class Members are obligated to, among other things, (a) release Sable, PPC and the other released parties from and against the Released Claims, (b) grant certain temporary construction easements to facilitate the repair of certain portions of the Pipelines, and (c) cooperate in good faith with Sable and PPC with respect to any and all steps reasonably required to restart the Pipelines and operate them thereafter, including obtaining all necessary regulatory approvals, consistent with the requirements of the relevant government agencies and the Consent Decree issued by the United States District Court for the Central District of California in relation to Civil Action No. 2:20-cv-02415 (United States of America and the People of the State of California v. Plains All American Pipeline, L.P. and Plains Pipeline, L.P.) and (ii) Sable has agreed to among other things, (a) pay $35.0 million into an interest-bearing non-reversionary Qualified Settlement Fund, and (b) deliver to class counsel an irrevocable direct pay letter of credit issued by J.P. Morgan & Co. or another federally insured bank in the amount of $35.0 million to secure Sable’s obligation to make certain payments under the Settlement Agreement. The Company expensed $70.0 million upon the effectiveness of the Settlement Agreement, which is included in General and administrative expenses on the unaudited condensed consolidated statement of operations for the period from February 14, 2024 through September 30, 2024 (Successor). Following the effectiveness of the Settlement Agreement, all Interest Payable has been fully offset by the ordinary and customary expenses charged to the Company from JPMorgan as the issuer of the Letter of Credit, resulting in no expense for three months ended September 30, 2024 (refer to discussion of restricted cash in Note 2 — Significant Accounting Policies for additional details regarding the Interest Payable and the Letter of Credit).

On May 1, 2024, the United States District Court for the Central District of California entered an order granting preliminary approval of the Settlement Agreement.

On May 9, 2024, the Company made the initial $35.0 million payment into the Qualified Settlement Fund and delivered the $35.0 million Letter of Credit to plaintiffs' counsel.

On September 17, 2024, the Court approved the Settlement Agreement in full.

Other Matters

On June 27, 2024, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Wishtoyo Foundation filed a complaint against Debra Haaland, Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior; the Bureau of Environmental Safety and Enforcement
(“BSEE”); and Bruce Hesson, BSEE Pacific Regional Director in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (Case No. 2:24-cv-05459). In the complaint, plaintiffs allege that BSEE violated the National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”), the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (“OCSLA”), and the Administrative Procedure Act in November 2023 by approving an extension to resume operations associated with 16 oil and gas leases Sable holds in the Santa Ynez Unit in federal waters offshore of California in the Santa Barbara Channel. The complaint asks for the Court to issue an order finding that BSEE violated NEPA and OCSLA by approving the extension, to vacate and remand the extension to BSEE, to prohibit BSEE from authorizing further extensions until it complies with NEPA and OCSLA, and for an award of costs and attorneys’ fees. Although not named as a party to the case, Sable has moved to intervene to become a party to the lawsuit and to vigorously contest the plaintiffs’ allegations. Separately, BSEE has confirmed that Sable’s recent completion of lease-holding activities serves to maintain all 16 leases within the Santa Ynez Unit to October 9, 2025.