Rockhopper rocked by Argentine threats over Falklands oil

See more This is Money on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Updated: 02:53 EDT, 5 September 2026 Shares in British oil and gas firm Rockhopper Exploration fell after Argentina threatened to impose sanctions on companies drilling off the Falkland Islands.Warning Argentina would reclaim the British territory, president Javier Milei said the Sea Lion oilfield owned by Rockhopper and Israeli partner Navitas Petroleum represented a ‘clear and present danger’.‘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,’ Milei said.Shares in Rockhopper, which is named after the region’s Rockhopper penguins, fell 6.4 per cent.Rockhopper and Navitas are due to begin extracting oil within two years, which Milei said Argentina could not allow.The two firms insisted the latest sabre-rattling would have no ‘material effect’ on their plans.DIY INVESTING PLATFORMSAJ BellAJ BellEasy investing and ready-made portfoliosHargreaves LansdownHargreaves LansdownFree fund dealing and investment ideasinteractive investorinteractive investorFlat-fee investing from £4.99 per monthFreetradeFreetradeInvesting Isa now free on basic planTrading 212Trading 212Free share dealing and no account feeAffiliate links: If you take out a product This is Money may earn a commission. These deals are chosen by our editorial team, as we think they are worth highlighting. This does not affect our editorial independence.Compare the best investing account for you