Chilean President Gabriel Boric warned that his government will firmly oppose any attempt to oil exploitation in Antarctica. This statement follows the release of a British report suggesting that Russia has discovered huge oil and gas reserves in areas of the continent claimed by Chile, Argentina and the United Kingdom.
Chile opposes oil exploitation
Boric stressed that Chile considers Antarctica as a territory destined for science and peace, reaffirming its position against the commercial exploitation of minerals and hydrocarbons. He emphasized that they will work together with other claimant countries and signatories to the Antarctic Treaty to ensure compliance with these regulations by all nations involved.
According to the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph, British lawmakers expressed their concerns to the government about a possible Russian oil operation on the frozen continent. According to the newspaper, the Russian geological agency Rosgeo confirmed the findings of the polar research vessel Alexander Karpinsky in 2020,which indicate the presence of approximately 70 billion tons of oil and gas under the Antarctic shelf.
These reserves would contain around 511 billion barrels of oil, a figure that represents approximately ten times the North Sea production over the past fifty years, according to the Conservative newspaper’s report.
A continent of peace and science
The Antarctic Treaty, originally signed by 12 countries on December 1, 1959, establishes that no country can claim sovereignty over Antarctic territory and that the region must be devoted exclusively to peace and science, thus prohibiting any oil development. This treaty is in force indefinitely and has not been amended, although as of 2048, any consultative country could request a revision, which would require approval by a relative majority.
Although Antarctica is not governed by any particular nation, countries such as the United Kingdom, Argentina, Chile, Australia and New Zealand have historically made claims to parts of its territory.
The Antarctic Treaty has also been instrumental in protecting the continent’s environment, imposing strict regulations on human activity and prohibiting the introduction of non-native species. In addition, international collaboration in scientific research has allowed important advances in the study of climate change and its global effects, highlighting the importance of maintaining Antarctica as a natural reserve for science.
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Source: dw
Photo: Shutterstock
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