Rockhopper and Navitas say they hold valid licenses with the UK's "full and ongoing" support
Rockhopper ExplorationJoint statement with Navitas Petroleum
Rockhopper Exploration and Navitas Petroleum said in a joint statement that they hold valid licenses to operate the Sea Lion project, granted by the Falkland Islands government with the UK's full and ongoing support, and said the recent developments are not expected to affect their activities.
“We have valid licenses to operate, granted by the islands' government with the full and ongoing support of the UK.”
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Should Argentina sanction UK and Israeli oil companies exploring near the Falkland Islands?
On September 3, 2026, Argentine President Javier Milei announced plans to sanction companies involved in oil exploration near the Falkland Islands, which Argentina calls the Malvinas and has long claimed from Britain. He called the Sea Lion oil project, operated by UK-based Rockhopper Exploration and Israel's Navitas Petroleum, a "concrete and urgent danger." Argentina has since filed a criminal complaint against Navitas Petroleum, begun sanctions proceedings against 60 companies and individuals connected to the project, and a Tierra del Fuego court has ordered the companies to suspend Sea Lion activity pending an environmental review, a step reported as largely symbolic since the project operates under Falkland Islands government licenses. Rockhopper and Navitas say they hold valid licenses with the UK's support and do not expect the measures to affect their activities. UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband called the UK's position on the islands "unwavering." Milei has tied the escalation to a 1976 UN resolution against unilateral action and has also announced funding for a new Argentine naval base in Tierra del Fuego. The dispute is whether Argentina should sanction and seek to block companies exploring for oil near the Falkland Islands.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
CNN's report on President Milei's Thursday, September 3 address announcing plans to sanction companies operating near the Falkland Islands. It quotes Milei calling the Sea Lion oil project a "concrete and urgent danger," quotes Rockhopper Exploration and Navitas Petroleum's joint statement that they hold valid licenses with UK support and do not expect the developments to affect their activities, and reports Trump's ambiguous remarks on U.S. support for Britain and Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband's response.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
The statement came the same day Milei announced the sanctions plan.
After the quotation
A Tierra del Fuego court ordered the project suspended on September 16, though the companies operate outside Argentina's jurisdiction under Falkland Islands government licenses.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Relative to whether Argentina should sanction the companies, they dispute the premise that their activity is unauthorized by asserting valid licenses and UK support, without directly arguing Argentina's sanctions are wrong. That disputes the characterization of the project as unlawful rather than defending or condemning the sanctions themselves.
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- People and groups discussed
- Javier Milei
More from this case
Read the full caseMilei tells Ibero-American leaders Argentina has opened sanctions proceedings and criminal complaints over Sea Lion
“We activated sanctions proceedings and filed criminal complaints against the companies involved and their executives. Our Government will assert Argentina's rights with all the firmness the law allows. (Translated from Spanish. Original: Activamos procedimientos sancionatorios y presentamos denuncias penales contra las compañías involucradas y sus directivos. Nuestro Gobierno hará valer los derechos argentinos con toda la firmeza que permite la ley.)”Read statement
International law professor Donald Rothwell says Argentina's Sea Lion case "could therefore fall at the first hurdle"
“While Argentina has framed its claim around UNCLOS, the core of the case is the territorial dispute over the islands, referred to as Malvinas by Argentina. ... Argentina's claim could therefore fall at the first hurdle, and Buenos Aires is no doubt aware of this challenge.”Read statement
Liberal Democrat Al Pinkerton calls Milei's use of UNCLOS arbitration "neo-colonialism dressed up as anti-colonialism"
“They spoke for themselves as a self-governing, self-determining, distinct and identifiable people, yet President Milei now seeks to use UNCLOS arbitration to deny the islanders of economic sovereignty and the right to shape their own future. That is neo-colonialism dressed up as anti-colonialism.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Rockhopper and Navitas say they hold valid licenses with the UK's "full and ongoing" support". First published: 2026-09-28. Last updated: 2026-09-28. https://disputeindex.com/events/3149-rockhopper-exploration-and-navitas-petroleum-said-in-a