511 billion barrels of oil discovered in Antarctica can trigger World War. Here's how
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "511 billion barrels of oil discovered in Antarctica can trigger World War. Here's how")
511 billion barrels of oil discovered in Antarctica by Russia Photograph: (Freepik)
World War? Antarctica is a place that no country is allowed to explore for personal financial gain. Russia has found a massive oil reserve here, but claims it doesn't intend to exploit it. But concerns have been raised that this finding could lead to a world war.
Russia has discovered a major oil reserve in Antarctica, a finding that could change world dynamics. Newsweek reported that over the last few expeditions, an estimated 511 billion barrels of oil have been found in the frozen land by Russian researchers. This makes it one of the largest untapped oil reserves in the world. When compared to the oil reserves and output in other parts of the world, the Antarctic finding is around ten times greater than what has been extracted from the North Sea over the last 50 years. This oil is also nearly double Saudi Arabia’s known oil reserves. Russian research ships carrying out scientific expeditions in Antarctica claim to have uncovered this vast oil resource. However, in doing so, Russia is supposedly breaking international laws.
Oil discovered in Antarctica
The oil reserves were discovered in the Weddell Sea. This region lies in the "British part" of Antarctica and is part of its territorial interest in Antarctica. There are overlapping territorial claims by Argentina and Chile as well. Despite the competing claims, Russia has gone ahead and explored the region. This has led experts to doubt Russia's intentions. According to the 1959 Antarctic Treaty, Antarctica is only a zone for scientific research and no military activity or resource exploitation should be carried here. Several countries, like the US and UK, are signatories to it as the aim of the treaty is to prevent the exploitation of Antarctica's resources for economic gain. But Russia's so-called "scientific expeditions" could be breaking this treaty, as experts point out what it could be doing in the garb of science. Also Read: Man recalls moment he saw SPOOKY SHINY SPHERE flying near his New York plane
Oil discovery in Antarctica could trigger international conflicts
Professor Klaus Dodds, an expert in geopolitics from the United Kingdom’s Royal Holloway College, told Newsweek, that Russia has been carrying out seismic studies in Antarctica, which could likely undermine the international norms surrounding seismic surveys. He warned that Russian scientists are checking for resources rather than conducting pure research. He says this could trigger full-scale resource extraction operations, undermining the ban on mining and drilling in Antarctica. There are concerns that this could lead to international conflicts since energy resources have been a major trigger for such scenarios. This comes as Russia and the West stand at loggerheads about Ukraine and the war that has been on since 2022. Also Read: String of structural anomalies south of Gomati creek reignite search for sunken city of Dwarka
Russia denies exploiting oil reserves
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Meanwhile, Russia has assured that its activities in Antarctica align with the Antarctic Treaty, with the Russian government saying in a statement that its research in the region is purely scientific, and it is not working towards exploiting the discovered oil reserves. The United Kingdom’s Foreign Office has called for Russia to be held accountable for its actions in Antarctica. Meanwhile, China has set up its fifth research base on the continent, adding to the tensions. This has led experts to speculate that the two countries could form a closer partnership in the region.
