Chile has made a move to bolster its territorial claims in Antarctica amid fears that Russia is poised to make an “oil grab”.
Kremlin scientists are believed to have discovered a gigantic oil field in the Antarctic close to the Falkland Islands.
An expert estimated the field contains half a trillion barrels, ten times the size of the North Sea’s 50-year output.
The oil would be worth some £33trillion at current market prices, making it an attractive prize for Russia and countries in the region.
However, the 1959 Antarctic Treaty currently forbids countries from exploiting any natural minerals including oil from the seabed.
Fears are growing, though, that the Kremlin may be tempted to ignore the ban as it seeks to challenge the rules-based order established by international conventions.
In response to the threat from Russia, members of Chile‘s parliamentary defence committee flew to a desolate air base in Antarctica for a meeting described as an assertion of national sovereignty.
Camila Flores, a committee member, told reporters: “We are going to be sitting in Antarctica in an act of sovereignty, of safeguarding and supporting our national integrity in the face of any threats.”
The committee declined to go into details of their discussions, saying only they addressed “the prevailing geopolitical conditions”.
A Russian polar research vessel discovered around 500 billion barrels of crude oil in 2020.
The Alexander Karpinsky carried out surveys in the Weddell Sea, where Chile‘s territorial claims overlap with those of Britain and Argentina.
Francisco Undurraga, head of Chile‘s defence committee, condemned the “crafty aspirations” of nations rushing to assert greater influence over Antarctica.
“We are going to continue defending what we believe is fair,” he said.
The Antarctic Treaty was signed in Washington on December 1 1959 initially by the twelve countries whose scientists had been active in and around Antarctica during the International Geophysical Year (IGY) of 1957-58.
It entered into force in 1961 and has since been acceded to by many other nations. The total number of Parties to the Treaty is now 57.
Among the signatories of the Treaty were seven countries – Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom – with territorial claims, sometimes overlapping.
Other countries do not recognise any claims. The US and Russia maintain a “basis of claim”.