Oil and the Falklands/Malvinas: oil companies, governments and Islanders

Abstract

This article demonstrates that oil has been a factor in British policy towards the Falkland Islands since the 1970s. It charts the changing perspectives of oil companies and considers how these have informed British policy. Multinational companies have shown varying degrees of interest in exploring for oil around the Islands, but have remained wary of operating in a region with a contested legal status. The article also considers the attitudes of Islanders towards oil exploration. It analyses the contribution of oil to the local economy today and its potential impact on the local population and the environment.