Russia ready to take oil from UK-claimed Antarctica: 'The West won't stop Putin'

The UK faces the threat of Russia extracting oil in areas of the Antarctic claimed by Britain, a Conservative MP tells the Daily Express.

Russia has discovered oil and gas reserves, according to evidence given to the Commons Environment Audit Committee (EAC) last week.

The reserves reportedly hold the equivalent of 511 billion barrels of oil, 10 times the North Sea’s 50-year output.

Antarctica has been protected by the 1959 Antarctic Treaty, which prohibits any resource extraction.

Conservative MP and former Chairman of the Defence Select Committee, Tobias Ellwood, told the Daily Express: "Russia’s blatant prospecting for oil in Antarctica (in breach of the Treaty) reflects Putin’s growing confidence to test international norms - with every expectation the West will be too risk-averse to stand in its way.

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"Its activities and intentions must be called out before Moscow wins the battle for the oil reserves in the land mass which is not governed by any one country."

His warning echoes that of other experts who fear China could also exploit the resources in the region.

Klaus Dodds, professor of geopolitics at Royal Holloway College, told the EAC: “The Antarctic Treaty faces renewed challenges not least from bad-faith actor Russia and increasingly assertive China.

“Rosgeo has been engaging in seismic surveys and other related surveying work … 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.”

Sergey Kozlov, chief geologist at PMGE, a subsidiary of Rosgeo, said last week: “The data obtained during the new expedition… will make it possible to substantially clarify our expectations of the oil and gas-bearing prospects of the Antarctic Shelf Seas."

A Foreign Office spokesman told The Telegraph: “The UK is fully committed to the Antarctic Treaty and its prohibition of commercial mineral exploitation.

“Last year, all Parties to the Antarctic Treaty reaffirmed their ongoing commitment to work together under the agreed framework, which reserves Antarctica for scientific use only.”

Russia's exploration of resources in the Antarctic is likely motivated by the hit dealt to its energy sector by Ukrainain strikes on oil and gas facilities.

Putin's forces have also targeted Ukrainian energy infrastructure during the war.