The Uruguayan Free Sea Assembly of Oil Companies and the civil association Socobioma filed an injunction to halt the start of seismic prospecting for crude oil.

The goal is to prevent the state-owned oil company, Ancap, and those other foreign firms from beginning exploration and drilling work, or from mobilizing ships or equipment, until the courts rule on the nullity of the contracts.

The National Administration of Fuels, Alcohol and Portland (Ancap) currently has seven signed contracts for the exploration and production of hydrocarbons on the Uruguayan continental shelf with the companies Chevron, Shell, Challenger Energy Group (CEG), APA, and YPF.

However, the plaintiff organizations assert that the documents signed by Ancap “are null and void.”

Under this precept, they requested the courts “to immediately suspend all activities that could harm the ocean and its biodiversity.”

They argue that these agreements “enable activities that cause irreversible damage, contradict the public interest, and violate environmental law.”

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