Is there oil and gas in Antarctica?

Rocks in Antarctica have been suggested to contain oil or gas. Even if this was the case (no drilling has taken place to find any) it is unlikely that they could ever be exploited commercially. Reliable authorities have estimated that it would cost over US$100 per barrel to get oil from Antarctica.

Is there any oil drilling in Antarctica?

In the Antarctic region, while the Madrid Protocol (Environmental Protocol) bans all mining and drilling for petroleum in the area south of 60° South latitude, there has been some hydrocarbon exploration in offshore areas further north that are still affected by icebergs.

How much oil and gas is in Antarctica?

It is estimated that, if recovery were made under conditions generally extant throughout the world, there would be resources of 19 billion barrels of recoverable oil (BBO) and 106 trillion cubic feet of gas (TCFG), amounting to 36 billion barrels of oil equivalent (BBOE) in Antarctica.

How much oil is in the Antarctic?

According to Rosgeologia, Russian exploration work offshore Antarctica conducted since the late 1970s already indicates potential oil and gas reserves of 70 billion mt, or around 513 billion barrels.

Is there land under Antarctica?

West Antarctica’s ground is almost entirely below sea level. BedMachine also revealed the world’s deepest land canyon below Denman Glacier in East Antarctica, at 11,000 feet below sea level. That’s far deeper than the Dead Sea, the lowest exposed region of land, which sits 1,419 feet below sea level.

Does Antarctica have gold?

Gold, platinum, copper, iron and coal have also been found in Antarctica. And diamonds are already mined today in some of the world’s colder reaches of northern Canada and Siberia.

Why is oil drilling in Alaska bad?

The vast size, remote location, and extreme weather conditions—combined with the complete lack of infrastructure for responding to oil spills—make drilling in the Arctic Ocean extremely dangerous. Our ability to respond to emergencies and oil spills is severely limited.

Why is mining not allowed in Antarctica?

Mining in Antarctica would be very difficult, dangerous and expensive as the climate is so harsh, the ice is very thick and Antarctica is very remote from major centres of population. This would make the transportation of minerals and equipment in and out of Antarctica hazardous.

Does Antarctica have uranium?

According to the study published on Phys.org, there has been a significant increase in uranium concentration in Antarctica. It coincides with open pit mining in the Southern Hemisphere, especially in Australia.

Can oil and gas be found in Antarctica?

In a chapter on Energy Minerals in the Encyclopedia of the Antarctic, MacDonald, professor for petroleum geology at the University of Aberdeen, explains that the only exploitable coal is hard to get to and that no oil and gas has ever been found. “The petroleum potential is unproven (but likely to be low).

Are there any natural resources found in Antarctica?

The Dufek Massif in East Antarctica has been identified as a possible source of chromium, but only theoretically (i.e. no-one has actually seen it). Chromium ores are also plentiful elsewhere on earth even if not currently exploited. Rocks in Antarctica have been suggested to contain oil or gas.

Why can’t we extract minerals from Antarctica?

Antarctica’s weather, ice and distance from any industrialized areas mean that mineral extraction would be extremely expensive and also extremely dangerous. The icebergs that drift around the continent frequently grind into the ocean floor like billion (or trillion) tonne ploughs.

Will Russia apply the same rigour in Antarctica as in the Arctic?

He will certainly apply the same rigour in Antarctica. Russia is reported to have more than $8 trillion worth of untapped oil and gas in its sector of the Arctic. This will enable Russia to add more than 1.5 million barrels of oil a day (mbd) to its current oil production of 11.23 mbd in a few years’ time.