Massive Oil Deposits Found Off Antarctica. Is An Oil Rush Coming?
The discovery foreshadows a potential conflict at the South Pole
Russia is once again going against international norms. This time, Russia is skirting conventions of the Antarctic Treaty by probing the region for oil. This is nothing new for Russia. Russia has been surveying Antarctic waters since the 1970s. Every decade or so, the Russians send out new ships with new equipment to look for submerged oil deposits. After decades of looking, it seems as though they have finally found something.
Russia’s state geological survey company, Rosgeologia, probed the Riiser-Larsen Sea and found massive deposits of crude oil. The find is estimated to contain 500 billion barrels of oil — if it can be accessed. The oil is located beneath cold waters located off of Anarctica’s northeast coast, in a territory claimed by Norway.
- Russia finds vast oil and gaz reserves in British Antarctic territory
- Massive Oil Discovery in Antarctica Raises Concern
- The scramble for Antarctica’s black gold
Antarctica has been protected by various treaties since 1959, which sets the continent aside for cooperation, research, and environmental protection. These treaties have worked, in theory, but…
