Environmental legal actions advance against oil activities in Peru and Argentina

Legal proceedings regarding environmental risks from hydrocarbon activities are advancing in Peru and Argentina.

In Peru, a civil court in Sechura has admitted an injunction filed against Perupetro, Petroperú, and the Ministry of Energy and Mines. The lawsuit seeks to halt bidding and contracting processes for oil lots Z-70 and Z-71, arguing that activities within or adjacent to Sechura Bay threaten rights to a healthy environment, food security, and labor. The plaintiffs are also requesting an independent environmental study to assess the cumulative impacts of three different oil lots on the marine food chain and scallop banks.

In Argentina, a judge has moved a case against the owner and two former executives of COMARSA to oral trial. The company is accused of environmental pollution that poses health risks due to the accumulation of over 300,000 cubic meters of untreated petroleum waste at the Neuquén Oeste Industrial Park. The case, which originated from a 2020 complaint, involves waste from the Vaca Muerta unconventional oil and gas operations, including fracking residues.