World
Justice Puts Oil Executives Linked to Sea Lion Project in the Falklands Under Investigation
Prosecutor Carlos Stornelli launched an investigation into officials of Navitas Petroleum and Rockhopper Exploration over alleged hydrocarbon activities without Argentine authorization. He also requested official documentation and measures to identify other individuals or firms that may have been involved.
Federal prosecutor Carlos Stornelli initiated a criminal investigation into directors and shareholders of Navitas Petroleum, of Israel, and Rockhopper Exploration, of the United Kingdom, over their alleged involvement in hydrocarbon exploration and production activities in waters near the Falkland Islands without Argentina’s authorization.
The case was opened following a complaint filed by the government of Javier Milei. According to Clarín, the case is before federal judge Julián Ercolini and also covers any individual or legal entity that may have collaborated with the project. Among the possible offenses mentioned are violations of Law 26,659, as well as potential environmental, customs and money laundering crimes.
According to reports by Clarín and Ámbito, the investigation seeks not only to determine which companies are part of the Sea Lion project, but also who made decisions, which companies participated and what the economic and financial flow behind the operations was. In that context, Stornelli asked to move forward on the corporate, logistical and banking structure linked to the venture.
Clarín reported that the prosecutor requested from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship all supporting documentation for the official complaint. He also asked for a letter rogatory to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to obtain corporate information on Desire Petroleum Limited and Desire Petroleum Public Limited Company, as well as data on their boards of directors, legal representatives and any licenses granted since 2012. The same request, that newspaper added, must be extended to the Rockhopper group.
In his filing, according to Clarín, Stornelli argued that the procedural purpose will be to determine the possible existence of hydrocarbon activities on the Argentine Continental Shelf in areas near the Falklands by Desire Petroleum without authorization from the competent Argentine authority. The filing also cites administrative precedents, including resolutions by the Energy Secretariat in 2012 and 2013 that declared those activities illegal and barred the company for 20 years from operating in the country.
According to judicial sources cited by Clarín and Ámbito, the crimes under review could carry sentences of up to 20 years in prison, in addition to financial penalties, although any liability will have to be determined as the investigation advances.
Ámbito added that the government plans to expand existing complaints and file new actions against other companies linked to hydrocarbon activities in the North Falklands Basin without Argentine authorization. That outlet said that, in addition to Navitas Petroleum and its British subsidiaries, the Canadian companies JHI Associates and Eco (Atlantic) Oil & Gas were also mentioned in that line.
Sources
About this note. Written by El Notero with assistance from artificial intelligence, based on what was published by the cited outlet. El Notero did not conduct its own reporting on this event.
