Argentina deepwater oil drilling plan sparks backlash

Argentina deepwater oil drilling plan sparks backlash

Buenos Aires, 5 January (Argus) — Argentina's oil industry is defending frontier deepwater exploration from an environmental backlash after the government authorized Norway's Equinor to carry out seismic studies in three offshore blocks.

Hundreds of people gathered in the coastal city of Mar del Plata and other cities around the country yesterday to protest the government's 30 December authorization.

Mar del Plata's mayor, Guillermo Montenegro, questioned the decision and has vowed to go to court to block the seismic work. The Buenos Aires province city is a hotspot for local tourism.