Miliband approves Falklands oil field despite Argentine opposition

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 13 Oct, 14:57 · Archive

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has approved the Sea Lion oil field development off the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic. The decision has prompted Argentina to escalate its response, with president Javier Milei beginning sanctions proceedings against more than 60 firms linked to the project and filing a case with the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. Argentina's government said the filing 'seeks to preserve Argentina's sovereign rights over its continental shelf and prevent activities authorised unilaterally and illegally by the United Kingdom'.

Milei has reiterated Argentina's claim to the Falkland Islands, saying they 'are our future', and vowed to block Sea Lion. According to The Independent, the project is estimated to hold 1.7 billion barrels of oil and is expected to start producing from 2028. The field could triple the GDP of the island archipelago. Milei said his government needed to act swiftly, warning that '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'.

The UK rejected Argentina's actions as 'unacceptable'. The Conservative opposition accused Miliband of hypocrisy for approving the Falklands drilling while not backing new exploration in the North Sea.

Miliband approves Falklands oil field despite Argentine opposition — Image: The Independent

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How it is being reported

Ed Miliband ‘approves new drilling in Falklands oil field’The decision will likely further deteriorate relations between Britain and ArgentinaThe Independent · 13 Oct, 14:35
Ed Miliband sets up new confrontation with Argentina as he 'signs off new Falklands oil field' in the South AtlanticMinisters are set to tell MPs today that the Foreign Secretary has given the go-ahead for the Sea Lion project in the South Atlantic that is at the centre of a new spat with Buenos Aires.Daily Mail · 13 Oct, 14:10

In this story: Ed Miliband · Javier Milei · Falkland Islands · Argentina · United Kingdom · Navitas Petroleum · Rockhopper Exploration

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