World · Latin America · 11 hrs ago
Argentina asks tribunal to halt Falklands oil drilling
Argentina has asked an international tribunal in Hamburg to stop oil drilling near the Falkland Islands.
The project, called Sea Lion, is led by Israeli company Navitas and British partner Rockhopper, with drilling planned to begin next March.
The dispute is part of a long-running sovereignty conflict between Argentina and the UK, which fought a war over the islands in 1982.
Argentina says Britain has no right to approve drilling because it disputes British sovereignty, and argues the work could damage the environment and make a peaceful settlement harder.
The islands are a British overseas territory, but Argentina claims them and says the offshore resources belong to its people.
The tribunal is holding its first hearing on the dispute, after Argentina requested urgent measures to halt the project.
A ruling is expected after the two-day hearing, but the tribunal may say it cannot decide territorial sovereignty; it could also consider environmental conditions or further checks.
Argentina has asked an international tribunal in Hamburg to halt the Sea Lion oil drilling project near the Falkland Islands.
At a two-day hearing, Argentina argued that UK approval of the project worsens the sovereignty dispute and breaches a 1976 UN resolution.
The project is led by Israeli company Navitas and British partner Rockhopper, with drilling planned to start in March 2027.
Argentina also warned that drilling could cause environmental damage and make a peaceful resolution of the dispute harder.
The tribunal is hearing the case at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, which may not have jurisdiction to decide territorial sovereignty.
- Who
- Argentina has asked the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea to act against the project. The project is led by Navitas and Rockhopper.
- What
- Argentina wants the tribunal to order provisional measures, including stopping the drilling.
- When
- The tribunal hearing began on 10 November 2026 and was scheduled to last two days. Drilling is planned to start in March 2027.
- Where
- In the North Falkland basin, north of the Falkland Islands, in the South Atlantic.
- Why
- Argentina says UK approval worsens the sovereignty dispute, breaches a 1976 UN resolution and risks environmental harm.
Argentina
United Kingdom
Sovereignty
Argentina
Argentina says the islands and their surrounding resources belong to Argentina.
United Kingdom
The UK treats the Falkland Islands as a British overseas territory and has approved drilling in the area.
Drilling
Argentina
Argentina wants drilling suspended, arguing that it is unilateral action while the sovereignty dispute remains unsettled.
United Kingdom
The UK has approved the Sea Lion project, with drilling planned to begin in March 2027.
Environmental risk
Argentina
Argentina warns that a blowout or spill could cause serious harm and says it would bear the consequences.
United Kingdom
Not stated in the sources.
Argentina filed an urgent application for arbitration over the Sea Lion project.
SRF reported that Argentina wanted to stop the planned British oil drilling and that a tribunal hearing was due that week.
A two-day hearing began at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in Hamburg.
Drilling is planned to start, according to the Guardian.
Oil is expected to begin flowing, according to SRF.
- Tribunal
- International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, based in Hamburg
- Project
- Sea Lion
- Companies
- Navitas and Rockhopper
- Planned drilling start
- March 2027
- Estimated start of oil flow
- 2028
- Island population cited by Guardian
- 3,400 inhabitants
3 sources
What people are saying
The UK cannot have it both ways.
These resources belong to the Argentine people.
stop the drilling
In the event of a blowout or spill, it is Argentina that would bear its consequences and be called upon to respond, not a state that is 12,700km away.