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Argentine Judge Halts Falklands Oil Project Amid Sovereignty Fight
(MENAFN) An Argentine federal court has ordered an immediate halt to work on the Sea Lion offshore oil project near the Falkland Islands, dealing a sharp legal blow to the companies behind the venture, according to Argentine media reports.
Federal Judge Mariel Borruto, presiding in Rio Grande, Tierra del Fuego province, issued a preliminary injunction Wednesday barring Navitas Petroleum, an Israeli firm, and Rockhopper Exploration, based in Britain, from launching or continuing any activity tied to the offshore development.
The injunction blocks drilling operations, the installation of subsea infrastructure, and the launch of commercial oil output, according to details of the ruling that have surfaced so far.
Sea Lion sits roughly 220 kilometers (137 miles) north of the Falklands—the South Atlantic archipelago that Britain governs but Argentina claims as its own. Navitas and Rockhopper greenlit the project with a final investment decision in late 2025.
The legal challenge was brought by the Center of Ex-Combatants of the Falkland Islands, based in La Plata, together with an association of environmental lawyers, who argue the project threatens both the environment and Argentine sovereignty claims.
Judge Borruto's order freezes the project until a formal environmental impact assessment is completed and reviewed by the appropriate Argentine authorities.
Beyond the work stoppage, the ruling compels the companies to disclose detailed project information—covering timelines, well data, floating production facilities, contractor lists, financing sources, insurance arrangements, and environmental studies.
The court stressed that the injunction is a provisional measure only, and does not amount to a final determination of the companies' liability or resolve the broader legal questions still pending in the case.
The decision marks the latest escalation in Argentina's mounting legal and diplomatic campaign against oil companies operating in Falklands waters. President Javier Milei's administration has consistently opposed the project, insisting the islands and their surrounding maritime zones fall under Argentine sovereignty.
Britain has administered the Falklands since 1833 and firmly rejects Argentina's territorial claim, continuing to back economic development on the islands.
Federal Judge Mariel Borruto, presiding in Rio Grande, Tierra del Fuego province, issued a preliminary injunction Wednesday barring Navitas Petroleum, an Israeli firm, and Rockhopper Exploration, based in Britain, from launching or continuing any activity tied to the offshore development.
The injunction blocks drilling operations, the installation of subsea infrastructure, and the launch of commercial oil output, according to details of the ruling that have surfaced so far.
Sea Lion sits roughly 220 kilometers (137 miles) north of the Falklands—the South Atlantic archipelago that Britain governs but Argentina claims as its own. Navitas and Rockhopper greenlit the project with a final investment decision in late 2025.
The legal challenge was brought by the Center of Ex-Combatants of the Falkland Islands, based in La Plata, together with an association of environmental lawyers, who argue the project threatens both the environment and Argentine sovereignty claims.
Judge Borruto's order freezes the project until a formal environmental impact assessment is completed and reviewed by the appropriate Argentine authorities.
Beyond the work stoppage, the ruling compels the companies to disclose detailed project information—covering timelines, well data, floating production facilities, contractor lists, financing sources, insurance arrangements, and environmental studies.
The court stressed that the injunction is a provisional measure only, and does not amount to a final determination of the companies' liability or resolve the broader legal questions still pending in the case.
The decision marks the latest escalation in Argentina's mounting legal and diplomatic campaign against oil companies operating in Falklands waters. President Javier Milei's administration has consistently opposed the project, insisting the islands and their surrounding maritime zones fall under Argentine sovereignty.
Britain has administered the Falklands since 1833 and firmly rejects Argentina's territorial claim, continuing to back economic development on the islands.
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