The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, the court in Hamburg, Germany that settles disputes under the UN sea-law treaty, will hold public hearings on November 10 and 11 on Argentina’s request to halt the Sea Lion oil project off the Malvinas (Falkland Islands). The tribunal’s president, Judge Maurice Kamga, fixed the dates in an order on October 20.
Argentina filed the request on October 13 against the UK government. It asks the court for temporary orders, known as provisional measures, to stay in force while the wider dispute is argued. The tribunal is not being asked to rule on who owns the islands.
The hearing decides whether the court will act at all. The judges will ask three questions: whether the tribunal appears to have jurisdiction, whether the risk is urgent enough to justify an order before the main case is heard, and whether the measures Argentina wants are proportionate. Argentina asks for a ban on starting or continuing oil production in the area, on using exploration data against its interests, and on new permits.
A ruling in Argentina’s favor would bind the UK. A UK minister told the House of Commons that London regards such measures as binding, and that Argentina’s notification does not cancel licences issued by the Falklands government in Stanley.
Navitas Petroleum, which holds 65% of the Sea Lion project alongside Rockhopper Exploration, says drilling could begin in early 2027.
After the hearing, the judges will deliberate and issue an order. Once a separate arbitration panel for the main case is formed, it can keep, change or lift whatever the Hamburg court decides. The hearing is open to the public and streamed live on the tribunal’s website.
