Russia Just Found Huge Oil Reserves in Antarctica

Russia has discovered huge oil reserves in British territory in Antarctica, according to evidence submitted to the U.K. House of Commons Environment Audit Committee (EAC).

The reserves uncovered contain around 511 billion barrels worth of oil, equating to around 10 times the North Sea's output over the last 50 years.

According to documents discussed in U.K. parliament last week, the discovery was made by Russian research ships in the Weddell Sea, which falls under the U.K.'s claim in Antarctic territory. That claim overlaps with those of Chile and Argentina.

Despite having no territorial claims in Antarctica, Russia, along with the U.S. and China, has been gradually escalating its presence in the region in recent years through various scientific campaigns, establishing five research stations in the territory since 1957.

But concerns are now being raised that Russia is attempting to assert its influence in the area through means other than scientific research.

Antarctica is governed by The Antarctic Treaty, first signed on December 1, 1959, which states that no single country owns the territory and designates the region as a continent devoted to peace and science, meaning all oil developments in the area are prohibited.

But experts have now claimed that Russia could be prospecting parts of Antarctica for oil and gas and surveying the continent for military purposes, violating the Antarctic Treaty.

In a meeting last week, Professor Klaus Dodds, professor of geopolitics at the U.K.'s Royal Holloway College, told the Commons Environment Audit Committee that Russia's actions in the region could "signal a potential threat to the permanent ban on mining."

"There is a worry that Russia is collecting seismic data that could be construed to be prospecting rather than scientific research," he said, adding: "Russia's activities need to be understood as a decision to undermine the norms associated with seismic survey research, and ultimately a precursor for forthcoming resource extraction."

Dodds went on to explain that since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, there had been "widespread concern" that Moscow's worsening relationship with the Western world "will spark strategic competition" between countries that will be "ever more explicit in Antarctica".

Such tensions have already begun, with Russia and China blocking attempts by other Antarctic treaty nations to expand marine protected areas in Antarctica in 2022.

However, David Rutley, a junior minister at the Foreign Office, disagreed that Russia's actions in the region equate to any violation of the Atlantic Treaty, telling the EAC that the country had "recently reaffirmed its commitment to key elements" of the treaty, adding that the country had repeatedly given assurances that its surveying is "purely for scientific purposes".

Rutley insisted that Russia "have to be held to account on this."

In a statement, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office reiterated Rutley's words, saying: "Russia has repeatedly assured the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting that these activities are for scientific purposes."

Seven countries, including Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway, and the U.K., have territorial claims over Antarctica. However, the United States and most other countries do not recognize those claims.