David and Goliath Revisited: A Tale About the Timor Leste/Australia Timor Sea Agreements

Texas Journal of Oil, Gas and Energy Law, 10, 2, 2015, 429-462

34 Pages Posted: 23 Mar 2017

See all articles by Francisco Pereira Coutinho

Francisco Pereira Coutinho

NOVA University of Lisbon - School of Law

Francisco Gala

New University of Lisbon - Faculty of Law

Abstract

This Article offers a tale about a dispute over the continental shelf resources of the oil-rich Timor Sea that currently involves a Goliath, Australia, and a David, Timor-Leste. The story includes colonization by a European state, Portugal, an invasion and annexation by a neighbor country, Indonesia, the negotiation of several contentious international treaties, and, more recently, is akin to a John le Carré novel, as it includes espionage, thefts, and imprisonment of whistleblowers. This story is not about the kid-glove diplomacy that usually characterizes relations between states.

Keywords: Oil, East-Timor, Australia, Continental Shelf, International Court of Justice, Arbitration

JEL Classification: K10, K33

Suggested Citation

Pereira Coutinho, Francisco and Gala, Francisco, David and Goliath Revisited: A Tale About the Timor Leste/Australia Timor Sea Agreements. Texas Journal of Oil, Gas and Energy Law, 10, 2, 2015, 429-462, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2938540

Francisco Pereira Coutinho (Contact Author)

NOVA University of Lisbon - School of Law ( email )

Campus de Campolide
Lisboa, 1099-032
Portugal

Francisco Gala

New University of Lisbon - Faculty of Law ( email )

Travessa Estevao Pinto
Campus de Campolide
Lisbon, 1099-032
Portugal

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