Arbitration Fallout
The dispute traces back to a three-member ICSID tribunal that unanimously sided with Slovakia, dismissing Discovery Global’s allegations. Discovery had accused Slovakia of blocking development plans through excessive regulations and public pressure, but arbitrators rejected every claim.
Discovery originally demanded $2.1 billion in damages, but Slovakia countered that the company had failed to secure landowner consent, ignored environmental obligations, and lacked the financing necessary for oil and gas drilling.
Officials argued that Discovery, through subsidiary Alpine Oil & Gas, spurred public backlash when it attempted to drill without community or regulatory alignment. Those missteps, Slovakia said, triggered lawsuits and left the projects stranded.
Years of Failed Energy Ambitions
Discovery acquired Alpine Oil & Gas in 2014 and pushed ahead with drilling attempts at three northeast Slovakia sites. By 2015, protests halted operations, and Discovery claimed Slovak police and courts refused to assist. Arbitration followed in 2021, but by then, Slovakia said, the company’s funding had evaporated.
Despite “consistent missteps,” the Slovak government argued it had acted fairly under Slovak and international law while the company failed to deliver.
