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Russia reported the discovery of oil and gas in the Argentine Antarctic area and set off global alarms - Infobae
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Rusia informó el descubrimiento de petróleo y gas en la zona de la Antártida Argentina y encendió alarmas globales
El canal de los BRICS aseguró que el Kremlin halló una reserva 30 veces mayor a Vaca Muerta. La noticia intensifica la tensión geopolítica en plena Guerra en Ucrania. Hay sospechas sobre una posible violación al Tratado Antártico. El Gobierno investiga la situación
www.infobae.com
May 14, 2024
The BRICS channel assured that the Kremlin found a reserve 30 times larger than Vaca Muerta. The news intensifies geopolitical tension in the midst of the War in Ukraine. There are suspicions about a possible violation of the Antarctic Treaty. The Government investigates the situation
By Robertino Sánchez Flecha
One of the bases that Russia has in Antarctic territory where Argentina has sovereignty claims
A piece of news set off alarms in the international system. Russia leaked information about the discovery of a giant hydrocarbon reserve in the area of Antarctica over which Argentina plants its flag. It is also the area where the United Kingdom and Chile dispute space. “Russia discovers oil and gas reserves in British Antarctic territory. It contains an estimated value of 511 billion barrels of oil , 10 times the production of the North Sea in the last 50 years,” reported BRICS News , the official X channel of the group made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. .
The news was explosive, given that Russia's activity on the white continent could violate the Antarctic Treaty . This is an international agreement signed in 1959 by Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, France, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, the Union of Southern Africa, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. The first article of that pact provides that Antarctica will be used “exclusively for peaceful purposes.” And it prohibits all measures of a military nature, such as the establishment of military bases and fortifications, the carrying out of military maneuvers, as well as the testing of all types of weapons. It only authorizes the use of military personnel or equipment for scientific research or for any other peaceful purpose .
The finding reported by BRICS News is equivalent to 30 times Vaca Muerta. Russia has long carried out mapping and probing programs of Antarctic geology , both terrestrial and underwater, but recent data indicate that its research vessels have discovered gas and oil reserves equivalent to 511 billion barrels of oil , an amount approximately ten times greater than the total production of the North Sea in fifty years.
Russia reported the discovery of oil and gas in the Argentine Antarctic area: "Russia discovers oil and gas reserve in British Antarctic territory. It contains an estimated value of 511 billion barrels of oil, 10 times the production of the North Sea in the last 50 years”
The Argentine Government is closely following the issue, although they opted for public silence. The Casa Rosada knows that the Kremlin has this data on hydrocarbon reserves since 2020. The issue was the subject of debate in the British Parliament last week. The English newspaper Telegraph echoed it through a note signed on Saturday by journalist Jonathan Leake. In any case, there is no certainty that the Russian action is “prospecting.”
However, Russia did not make the information official, although it did not comment on the BRICS News cable, a bloc of which Moscow is a part. This is news that adds tension to the international system.
Antarctica is a strategic place that awakens special sensitivity for the global community. Therefore, the news adds geopolitical tension to the world, given that it happens in a context marked by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. According to the Antarctic Treaty and the Protocol on environmental protection, any type of mineral exploitation is prohibited, but scientific research is not.
Vladimir Putin, president of Russia (REUTERS)
In addition to the Russian presence in Antarctica for scientific research, there is a global suspicion about Vladimir Putin's intention to exploit natural resources and carry out a deployment that pursues military objectives. Two aspects prohibited by the Antarctic Treaty.
Concerns over violation of the 1959 Antarctic Treaty
Russia's potential to conduct prospecting activities in Antarctica has not only geopolitical, but also environmental implications. Antarctica is an extremely fragile ecosystem, whose protection is vital not only for its biodiversity but also for its role in regulating the global climate.Researchers aboard Russian vessels have made a discovery that could redefine the global energy future, but also puts at risk the peace and science that have historically characterized Antarctica . These reserves, which represent approximately ten times everything produced by the North Sea in half a century, could have significant consequences not only in economic but also geopolitical and environmental terms.
Argentine scientific base Orkney, in Antarctica,
The possibility that Russia is considering the exploitation of these resources has raised alarm among member states of the Antarctic Treaty , which expressly prohibits any activity related to mineral extraction and the militarization of the region. This treaty, signed during the Cold War , has served as a bulwark of peace and scientific cooperation. Prospecting activities under the guise of science call into question the effectiveness of this agreement and Russia's willingness to adhere to its principles.
