Argentina’s government has launched a process to sanction a number of foreign firms it accuses of illegally drilling for oil in a disputed area near the British-run Falkland Islands, over which the South American country also claims sovereignty.
The country’s energy secretary Darío Martínez told reporters on July 7 it would seek sanctions against U.K.-based Chrysaor Holdings, Harbour Energy and Israeli firm Navitas Petroleum, adding them to eight other firms previously sanctioned between 2011 and 2015.
Reuters could not immediately reach the firms for comment.
Argentina and Britain have long disputed ownership of the Falklands, with Argentina claiming sovereignty over the islands it calls the Malvinas. The dispute led to a brief war in 1982 in which 255 British troops and about 650 Argentine soldiers died.
“The companies are not authorized to operate nor have they requested any type of authorization,” Martinez said at a press conference, adding they were operating with illegal licenses from the “illegitimate authorities” of the Falkland Islands.
Argentina’s current center-left Persons government has ratcheted up rhetoric over the disputed islands, some 403.89 miles of the country’s southeast coast and home to some 2,600 people, mostly of British descent.
The government has appointed a Malvinas minister, saying it will redraw maps to emphasize its claim for use in schools and lobbying at the United Nations.
Recommended Reading
Texas GulfLink Port Wins Approval from U.S. Maritime Administration
2025-02-18 - Sentinel Midstream’s Texas GulfLink crude loading platform is the second Gulf Coast project to receive a permit.
First US-Owned LNG Tanker to Serve Puerto Rico
2025-03-18 - LNG Tanker American Energy takes on a new mission 31 years after its construction.
Australia's Woodside in Talks with at Least Three Partners for Louisiana LNG, Sources Say
2025-02-18 - Woodside Energy has held talks with several potential buyers of stakes in its Louisiana LNG plant, including Tokyo Gas, Japan's JERA and Saudi Aramco-backed MidOcean Energy, multiple sources told Reuters.
Trump Ambiguous Whether Canadian-Mexico Tariffs to Include Oil
2025-01-31 - At a news conference, President Trump said that he would exclude oil from tariffs before backtracking to say that he “may or may not” impose duties on crude.
US LNG Exporter Venture Global's Shares Dip After IPO
2025-01-24 - Venture Global’s pre-IPO pricing at $25 a share valued the Gulf Coast LNG operator at some $65 billion, but shares fell below $25 by about 3% in trading Jan. 24.