Malvinas: Gov't begins legal proceedings against five British oil firms for illegal drilling

The Government announced today that they had begun the legal proceedings put together with the AFIP tax agency against five British oil companies, accusing them of "carrying out illegal operations" in the Malvinas Islands.

In an official press release published on the Foreign Ministry’s website, the sector run by Héctor Timerman announced that a group comprised of General Attorney’s Office, the Treasury’s General Attorney, AFIP tax agency and the Energy Secretariat "are coordinating legal and administrative strategies against the companies."

“The Foreign Ministry has provided information and data that prove the aformentioned illegal drilling to the Energy Secretariat in order to begin legal proceedings against each of the five affected British companies,” the comuniqué stated.

The measure is being carried out against: Argos Resources Limited, Borders & Southern Petroleum PLC, Desire Petroleum PLC, Falkland Oil and Gas Limited and Rockhopper Exploration PLC which all have drilling rigs in the area of the islands.

In addition, it also informed that “legal cases against these five companies before the General Tax Directive (DGI) and the General Customs Directive (DGA) have been opened.”

ENARSA state energy company will act as lead plaintiff in the lawsuits. Legal proceedings will be announced to the UK’s Financial Services Authority, “in order to safeguard the principles that rule the world’s financial markets," the communiqué concluded.