Argentina’s president has threatened economic sanctions against companies developing oil resources around the Falkland Islands as he stepped up his country’s claim to the British overseas territory.
Javier Milei singled out the Sea Lion oilfield, around 130 miles from the islands, where Britain’s Rockhopper Exploration and Navitas Petroleum, which has a presence in Aberdeen, plan to begin production within two years.
The field is estimated to contain 1.7 billion barrels of oil, more than five times the estimated 300 million barrels contained in the Rosebank field west of Shetland.
Milei described Sea Lion as a 'clear and present danger' and said the Falklands were 'historically and legally' Argentinean.
He said: 'If we do not act swiftly in a few months, they will have the material capacity to access the oil that lies underneath our sea – something that has never happened before.'
Downing Street rejected the threat, saying the islands would remain a British Overseas Territory 'for as long as the Islanders wish'.
It added: 'This is not the first time Argentine governments have made economic threats against the islanders. We are clear that the Falkland Islanders' right of self-determination extends to the right to exploit their own natural resources.'
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said Britain’s commitment to the Falklands was 'absolute and unshakeable', adding: 'Milei's statement overnight tells us more about domestic politics in Argentina than it does about the Falkland Islands.'
Source: Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce
