Argentina has threatened the chief executive of Rockhopper Exploration with prison over the Sea Lion oil project off the Falkland Islands. Buenos Aires is asking an international tribunal to suspend drilling, and a ruling is expected on 28 November.
The Argentinian government threatened Sam Moody, chief executive of Rockhopper Exploration, and the company's chief financial officer with jail, the Guardian reports. Both received the correspondence this autumn as Buenos Aires stepped up its rhetoric over the British overseas territory.
Moody said Argentina wrote to him on 1 September 2026. According to his witness statement: "threatening us with criminal prosecution, imprisonment and fines under its domestic legislation". The UK submitted the statement to the international tribunal for the law of the sea (Itlos) ahead of two days of hearings this week.
Argentina presses for a halt to Sea Lion
Argentina wants Itlos to order the urgent suspension of drilling at Sea Lion, an offshore project north of the Falklands led by Rockhopper and the Israeli company Navitas. Its application argues that Britain's agreement to drilling is illegal because sovereignty over the islands is disputed.
The UK disagrees. It told the tribunal this week that Itlos has no jurisdiction and that the UN resolution Argentina cites is not legally binding. Attorney general Ellie Reeves also said a suspension would end the project's hopes of success, with devastating consequences for people on the islands.
Pressure on financiers and contractors
Moody's submission listed other Argentinian actions that he said made Sea Lion harder to finance. Argentina banned Navitas from operating in the country for 20 years, and officials reportedly wrote to Standard Chartered, which has a branch in Port Stanley.
Navitas and Rockhopper also withheld the names of their contractors from court documents, citing fear of Argentinian retribution. Separately, the US firm Halliburton said it would not work on Sea Lion after discussions with Argentina.
The project is expected to double the Falklands' GDP. It would provide an £8bn uplift in revenues for the Falkland government over the oilfield's active lifetime.
Source: The Guardian
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