Russia just found huge oil reserves in Antarctica

Russia has found huge oil reserves in British territory in Antarctica, according to evidence given to the U.K. House of Commons Environment Audit Committee.

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

According to documents discussed in the 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. It has established five research stations in the territory since 1957.

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

Antarctica is governed by the Antarctic Treaty, first signed on Dec. 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 say Russia could be prospecting in Antarctica for oil and gas and surveying the continent for military purposes, violating the treaty.

In a meeting last week, Klaus Dodds, a 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.”