Sri Lanka, April 27 -- Sri Lanka's efforts to attract and leverage international investment into exploration of oil and gas have once again been gridlocked by legal challenges in the Court of Appeal.

Plans were underway to commercialise two blocks, adding to over 5,000 square kilometres with potential oil and gas resources in the Mannar Basin.

According to the latest developments in CA (Writ) Application No: 392/2023, the court found that a prima facie case has been established by the petitioner Serendive Energy.

Accordingly, the court issued orders restraining the first to 36th respondents and/or its servants or agents from granting to any third party, other than the petitioner, the rights to offshore exploration of blocks M1 and C1, ...