Argentina: criminal investigation into oil activities in the Falkland-Malvinas Islands

The Argentine judiciary has opened a criminal investigation against managers and shareholders of the two companies that operate the Sea Lion oil field in the Falkland-Malvinas Islands over whose sovereignty there is a long-standing dispute with the United Kingdom.

In the writing of the magistrate leading the investigation, prosecutor Carlos Stornelli, we read that "in accordance with the complaint presented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Pablo Quirno", the objective of the proceedings is to ascertain "the possible existence of exploration and/or exploitation of hydrocarbons on the Argentine continental shelf without the authorization of the competent authority of the Argentine Republic, starting at least from 2012".

The violation of law 26.659 which prohibits the exploitation of resources on the Argentine continental shelf provides for a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, but the magistrate does not exclude - in line with the complaint presented by the Milei government - the possible commission of other environmental crimes or possible customs violations and laundering of goods deriving from the reported activities.