Argentina Threatens UK with Court Action Over Falklands Oil Drilling
Argentina will sue the UK unless it suspends an oil drilling project off the coast of the Falkland Islands, the BBC has reported, citing an X post by Argentine president Javier Milei. "I instructed the Foreign Ministry and our legal teams to initiate international arbitration against the United Kingdom for the illegal plundering of our resources through the Sea Lion Project in the North Malvinas…
Argentina has threatened legal action against the UK unless it ceases an oil drilling project near the Falkland Islands, according to the BBC. The report, citing a post by Argentine president Javier Milei on X, states that the president has instructed his foreign ministry and legal teams to initiate an international arbitration against the UK, alleging that the Sea Lion Project is illegally exploiting Argentine resources.
Milei warned that if the UK does not halt the operation within two weeks, Argentina will take the matter to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. The Falkland Islands, also known as Las Malvinas by Argentina, have been under British control since 1833, despite Argentina's longstanding claim of ownership. The Sea Lion oil field, operated by Navitas Petroleum Development and Production Ltd (NPDP) and its British partner Rockhopper Exploration, has secured all necessary approvals and funding for full-scale project execution.
The first oil is expected to be produced in March 2028, with production lasting over 30 years. The UK and Argentina have a history of conflict over the islands, with the last major dispute occurring in 1982. Despite this, both the UK and Argentine companies involved in the project maintain that they have valid licenses to drill in the area.
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