Russia's activities in Antarctica are thought to be more for oil exploration than scientific research.

DAILY EXPRESS 13 SEPTEMBER 2024 - RUSSIA FINDS MASSIVE OIL AND GAS RESERVES IN BRITISH TERRITORY, SPARKING DRILLING FEARS

Russia has reportedly discovered billions of barrels worth of oil and gas reserves in the British Antarctic territory, prompting fears it could lead to drilling in the protected region.

The vast reserves equate to around 10 times the entire North Sea's oil production for the last half century.

According to documents discussed in Parliament last week, the discovery was made by Russian research ships.

The Environment Audit Committee (EAC) was discussing oil and gas research from the RosGeo, Russia's largest geological research firm.

Antarctica is protected by the 1959 Antarctic Treaty, which bans mineral and oil developments in the region. The UK's interests in the area are overseen by the Foreign Office.

The treaty was established to ensure Antarctica was used "exclusively for peaceful purposes" and would not "become the scene or object of international discord".

David Rutley, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Americas and Caribbean, told MPs the Foreign Office believed Russia was conducting scientific research in the area.

He said Russia had recently "reaffirmed its commitment to the key elements of the treaty".

Antarctica expert Klaus Dodds, from the Royal Holloway College, told The Telegraph Russia's activities were closer to looking for oil and gas rather than actual science. 

He said: "Russia's activities need to be understood as a decision to undermine the norms associated with seismic survey research, and ultimately a precursor for forthcoming resource extraction."

The largest of Britain's 14 overseas treaties, the Antarctic Treaty, has faced competition claims from Chile and Argentina in the past.

It is thought these claims could resurface should the evidence from Russia's seismic activity become proven by further drilling in the region.

In a statement the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office repeated its acceptance of Russian pledges: "Russia has repeatedly assured the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting that these activities are for scientific purposes." 

Is there any basis of truth in the "Sectasaur" Antarctic John Storm adventure?

The “Sectasaur” Antarctic John Storm adventure is a work of fiction, but it is based on some scientific facts and speculations. For example, the story involves the discovery of a giant prehistoric insect, resembling a giant ant, that was frozen in the Antarctic ice for millions of years. This is inspired by the real fossil genus Titanomyrma, which was a group of giant ants that lived during the Eocene epoch, about 50 million years ago. Some of these ants were as big as hummingbirds, and had wingspans of up to 15 cm. They are known from fossils found in Germany, England, Wyoming, and British Columbia123. The story also explores the possibility of cross-Arctic dispersal of thermophilic insects, which means that these ants could have migrated from Europe to North America via a land bridge that existed across the Arctic when the climate was warmer. This is a hypothesis that has been proposed by some paleontologists to explain the distribution of Titanomyrma and other ancient organisms12. However, there is no evidence that Titanomyrma or any other giant insect ever existed in Antarctica, or that they could survive the freezing temperatures there. The story also involves the use of DNA technology to recreate and enhance extinct species, which is a controversial and hypothetical topic that has ethical and ecological implications. The story is meant to be an entertaining and imaginative adventure, not a realistic or accurate depiction of paleontology or biology.

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titanomyrma
2. https://interestingengineering.com/science/giant-ant-fossil-life-50-million

3. https://www.livescience.com/14008-giant-ant-fossil.html

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/russia-finds-massive-oil-and-gas-reserves-in-british-territory-sparking-drilling-fears/ar-BB1mgveO

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