Argentine judge orders halt to Falklands oil project as tensions with Britain rise

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- An Argentine federal judge on Wednesday ordered British and Israeli companies to stop developing an oilfield off the Falkland Islands, opening a new legal front in the decades-old sovereignty dispute between Argentina and Britain that Argentine President Javier Milei has revived in recent weeks. The injunction by Judge Mariel Borruto, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, targets the Sea Lion oil project 220 kilometers (140 miles) north of the British-controlled archipelago in the South Atlantic, barring drilling, offshore installations and port construction until Argentine authorities can conduct an environmental review and issue a decision. But in practice, Wednesday's order is unlikely to halt progress on the project. Judge Borruto acknowledged that enforcement “depends on international cooperation and the conduct” of the two companies, Israel's Navitas Petroleum and Britain's Rockhopper Exploration, which have already vowed to press ahead with the project despite Milei's threats of tougher sanctions against them and other companies operating around the islands. Rockhopper declined to comment, and Navitas did not immediately respond to ...