Argentina has moved its fight over Falklands oil from threats to the courtroom, asking an international maritime tribunal to halt development of Sea Lion, the islands’ first commercial oil project.
The government filed for provisional measures with the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea on Tuesday, seeking to stop British-authorized hydrocarbon activity in the Northern Falklands Basin.
The specific project in question is Sea Lion, a 315-million-barrel development operated by Navitas Petroleum with Rockhopper Exploration. The companies reached FID last December and are targeting first oil in 2028. Peak production is expected to be around 50,000 barrels per day.
Britain says the project can continue.
The UK government said Argentina’s filing does not invalidate licenses issued by the Falkland Islands government or require oil development to stop. Britain will participate in the tribunal proceedings and is also preparing legal measures to protect companies from Argentine sanctions and other domestic enforcement actions.
Argentina has been tightening the screws for weeks.
President Javier Milei warned in September that Argentina would take Britain to the maritime tribunal unless work on Sea Lion stopped. His government has also proposed tougher penalties against companies and individuals involved in oil development around the islands without Argentine authorization.
That pressure has already reached the oilfield-services business.
Halliburton said earlier this month that it would not participate in Sea Lion or other oil and gas development around the Falklands after contacts with Argentine authorities involving potential criminal, civil and regulatory enforcement.
Navitas and Rockhopper have maintained that development will proceed. Navitas CEO Ian Ramsey welcomed Britain’s latest commitment to defend companies involved in the project.
Sea Lion has already spent more than 15 years trying to move from discovery to production, with high development costs and political risk repeatedly complicating the project.
Now the companies have financing, project approval and a 2028 production target.
By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com
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