Argentina Files Criminal Charges Against Navitas Petroleum Over Falkland Oil Operations

Wed Sep 09 2026 04:04:19 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Argentina’s government is moving to prosecute oil company Navitas Petroleum for drilling in maritime zones near the Falkland Islands following President Milei’s directive to sanction such activities.

Argentina has announced it will bring Navitas Petroleum and its subsidiaries before criminal court for operating in the seas around the Falkland Islands. The decision follows President Javier Milei’s call for sanctions against overseas oil firms. UK officials reiterated their commitment to the islands, while Navitas and its partners say the Sea Lion project remains licensed. The move heightens an already tense sovereignty dispute that dates back to the 1982 conflict.

Argentina Files Criminal Charges Against Navitas Petroleum Over Falkland Oil Operations

Argentine President Javier Milei delivering a speech in Buenos Aires

Argentina’s government has announced it will bring Navitas Petroleum and its subsidiaries before criminal court for operating in the seas surrounding the Falkland Islands.

The move came six days after President Javier Milei called for sanctions against the oil companies drilling in the British overseas territory in the southwest Atlantic. He warned that any such activity would violate Argentine law, which bans exploitation of resources in the region without state approval.

In the House of Commons, Foreign Affairs Minister Kirsty McNeill reassured that the United Kingdom’s position on the Falklands remains “unwavering” and that the islands’ commercial decisions rest with their own government and the companies involved.

Navitas Petroleum, a Tel‑Aviv listed firm, holds a 65% stake in the Sea Lion offshore oil project, scheduled to start production in 2028 around 130 miles (209 km) from the islands. The field is estimated to contain 1.7 billion barrels of oil.

The company said Milei’s comments were “not expected to have a material effect” on the project’s development or timeline. Navitas has not yet responded to the government’s statement.

Merchants Alfa and Rockhopper, both shareholders in the Sea Lion project, have also not commented. All parties claim the field holds valid licences issued by the Falkland Islands.

This latest legal action intensifies tensions that date back to the 1982 Falklands War, when the UK forces re‑established control over the territory. Argentina continues to assert a historical and legal claim over the archipelago, while the islands maintain a high level of self‑governance within the British framework.