# Miliband approves Falklands oil drilling as Argentina threatens action

> Britain's foreign secretary has approved a new oil field development near the Falkland Islands, prompting Argentina's president to threaten sanctions and criminal charges.
- Title: Miliband approves Falklands oil drilling as Argentina…
- Summary: Britain's foreign secretary has approved a new oil field development near the Falkland Islands, prompting Argentina's president to threaten sanctions and…
- Keywords: ed miliband, falkland islands, argentina, oil drilling, sea lion field, navitas petroleum, javier milei, uk argentina relations, politics, news, Miliband, approves
- Source: The Independent — https://independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/ed-miliband-falklands-oil-field-drilling-b3065906.html
- Published: 2026-10-13T13:35:02+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: ed miliband, falkland islands, argentina, oil drilling, sea lion field, navitas petroleum, javier milei, uk argentina relations, politics, news
## Miliband approves Falklands oil field
Foreign secretary Ed Miliband has approved new drilling in the Sea Lion field near the Falkland Islands. The field is estimated to hold one point seven billion barrels of oil.
## Production expected from 2028
The Sea Lion field is expected to start producing oil from twenty twenty-eight. Israeli energy company Navitas co-owns the oil field and confirmed the announcement.
## Argentina threatens sanctions and charges
Argentina's president Javier Milei said his government will impose sanctions on oil drilling off the Falkland Islands and threatened to file criminal charges against Navitas Petroleum and Rockhopper Exploration.
## Milei warns of urgent threat
Milei said the Sea Lion project could begin oil development in coming months. He stated: "If we do not act swiftly, in a few months they will have the material capacity to access the oil…

> If we do not act swiftly, in a few months they will have the material capacity to access the oil that lies underneath our sea
## Conservative attacks Labour's energy hypocrisy
Conservative shadow energy secretary accused Miliband of hypocrisy for approving Falklands drilling while rejecting North Sea projects Jackdaw and Rosebank. He wrote: "The utter hypocrisy of Ed Miliband knows no end."

> The utter hypocrisy of Ed Miliband knows no end
## Key takeaway

Ed Miliband has approved drilling in the Sea Lion oil field near the Falkland Islands, risking escalated tensions with Argentina, which has threatened sanctions and criminal charges against the Israeli operator.