Argentina's government has warned it may "fully exercise all available actions" to block development of the Sea Lion oil field near the Falkland Islands (a British overseas territory in the South Atlantic, claimed by Argentina as the Malvinas), calling the plans of British firm Rockhopper Exploration and its Israeli partner Navitas Petroleum "unlawful" and "clandestine." The Sea Lion field, in which Navitas holds 65% and Rockhopper 35%, recently received final development approval and is projected to produce around 170 million barrels from 2028, with recoverable reserves estimated at over one billion barrels and a first-phase investment of roughly $2.1 billion. The dispute adds fresh tension to an already fraught sovereignty row — Argentina and the UK fought a brief war over the islands in 1982 — and raises concerns that Buenos Aires could penalise British energy firms such as Shell and BP that operate in Argentina's prolific Vaca Muerta shale formation.