200 B Barrels of Oil. 90% of the World’s Freshwater: China Targets Antarctica

[Wilikon]

China is making big moves in Antarctica as it attempts to position itself for maximum influence on the world's last unclaimed piece of land, Jane Perlez reports for The New York Times.

Although Beijing did not establish its first Antarctic research base until 1985, Chinese efforts to expand its influence across the continent have intensified and are now outpacing other nations' plans.

"China’s operations on the continent — it opened its fourth research station last year, chose a site for a fifth, and is investing in a second icebreaker and new ice-capable planes and helicopters — are already the fastest-growing of the 52 signatories to the Antarctic Treaty," Perlez notes.

The US  has six research stations on the continent, while Australia has three. The Antarctic Treaty, which was signed in 1959, commits the signatories to ensuring that the continent will remain open for peaceful scientific research and that the region will not be militarized. A number of separate protocols aim to protect the Antarctic environment from overfishing and mining of what are considered to be large supplies of scarce resources in the region.

Although China has abided by the constraints of the pacts, observers of Antarctic affairs believe that Beijing is using the guise of research to gain a strategic upper hand in case region opens to commercial drilling in the future.

“This is part of a broader pattern of a mercantilist approach all around the world,” Peter Jennings, director of Australian Strategic Policy Institute, told the NYT. “A big driver of Chinese policy is to secure a long-term energy supply and food supply.”



http://www.businessinsider.com/china-is-making-moves-in-antarctica-2015-5

[bryant.coleman]

I don't think it will be easy for the Chinese to get oil from Antarctica. According to international treaties, all types of extractive activities are banned there. In addition to this, almost the entire region is claimed by the UN members, such as France and New Zealand. IMO, the Chinese should better concentrate on the petroleum deposits of the South China Sea.

[no-ice-please]

Once space exploration begins ...

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ore_resources_on_Mars

"It has for some time been accepted by the scientific community that a group of meteorites came from Mars. As such, they represent actual samples of the planet and have been analyzed on Earth by the best equipment available. In these meteorites, called SNCs, many important elements have been detected. Magnesium, Aluminium, Titanium, Iron, and Chromium are relatively common in them. In addition, lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, niobium, molybdenum, lanthanum, europium, tungsten, and gold have been found in trace amounts. It is quite possible that in some places these materials may be concentrated enough to be mined.[32]

The Mars landers Viking I, Viking II, Pathfinder, Opportunity Rover, and Spirit Rover identified aluminium, iron, magnesium, and titanium in the Martian soil.[33] Opportunity found small structures, named "blueberries" which were found to be rich in hematite, a major ore of iron.[34] These blueberries could easy be gathered up and reduced to metallic iron that could be used to make steel.

In addition, both Spirit and Opportunity Rovers found nickel-iron meteorites sitting on the surface of Mars.[35][36] These could also be used to produce steel.[37]

In December 2011, Opportunity Rover discovered a vein of gypsum sticking out of the soil. Tests confirmed that it contained calcium, sulfur, and water. The mineral gypsum is the best match for the data. It likely formed from mineral-rich water moving through a crack in the rock. The vein, called "Homestake," is in Mars' Meridiani plain. Homestake is in a zone where the sulfate-rich sedimentary bedrock of the plains meets older, volcanic bedrock exposed at the rim of Endeavour crater.[38]"

[Spendulus]

Once space exploration begins ...

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ore_resources_on_Mars

"It has for some time been accepted by the scientific community that a group of meteorites came from Mars. As such, they represent actual samples of the planet and have been analyzed on Earth by the best equipment available. In these meteorites, called SNCs, many important elements have been detected. Magnesium, Aluminium, Titanium, Iron, and Chromium are relatively common in them. In addition, lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, niobium, molybdenum, lanthanum, europium, tungsten, and gold have been found in trace amounts. It is quite possible that in some places these materials may be concentrated enough to be mined.[32]

The Mars landers Viking I, Viking II, Pathfinder, Opportunity Rover, and Spirit Rover identified aluminium, iron, magnesium, and titanium in the Martian soil.[33] Opportunity found small structures, named "blueberries" which were found to be rich in hematite, a major ore of iron.[34] These blueberries could easy be gathered up and reduced to metallic iron that could be used to make steel.

In addition, both Spirit and Opportunity Rovers found nickel-iron meteorites sitting on the surface of Mars.[35][36] These could also be used to produce steel.[37]

In December 2011, Opportunity Rover discovered a vein of gypsum sticking out of the soil. Tests confirmed that it contained calcium, sulfur, and water. The mineral gypsum is the best match for the data. It likely formed from mineral-rich water moving through a crack in the rock. The vein, called "Homestake," is in Mars' Meridiani plain. Homestake is in a zone where the sulfate-rich sedimentary bedrock of the plains meets older, volcanic bedrock exposed at the rim of Endeavour crater.[38]"

You know, this kind of talk is fantastically ignorant.  You know, assume you have some planets.  Now, what do you think they might be made out of?  E-l-e-m-e-n-t-s.  And what do elements do?  They form chemical COMPOUNDS.

[Wilikon]

I don't think it will be easy for the Chinese to get oil from Antarctica. According to international treaties, all types of extractive activities are banned there. In addition to this, almost the entire region is claimed by the UN members, such as France and New Zealand. IMO, the Chinese should better concentrate on the petroleum deposits of the South China Sea.

The ban on commercial drilling of resources in Antarctica is due to expire in 2048, unless the Protocol on Environmental Protection is re-ratified by consensus. If the accord does expire, Antarctica could become the next major source of hydrocarbons on earth. The region is believed to have an approximate 200 billion barrels of oil, in addition to being the largest single repository of fresh water on the planet.

China's current investments could place it in an unrivaled position to take advantage of any resources on the continent in 2048.

"China's exploration of the continent is like playing chess. It's important to have a position in the global game," Guo Peiqing, a law professor at the Ocean University of China told The Guardian. "We don't know when play will happen, but it's necessary to have a foothold."



http://www.businessinsider.com/china-is-making-moves-in-antarctica-2015-5

[no-ice-please]

You know, this kind of talk is fantastically ignorant.  You know, assume you have some planets.  Now, what do you think they might be made out of?  E-l-e-m-e-n-t-s.  And what do elements do?  They form chemical COMPOUNDS.

Elements form compounds. What is your point?

[Wilikon]

You know, this kind of talk is fantastically ignorant.  You know, assume you have some planets.  Now, what do you think they might be made out of?  E-l-e-m-e-n-t-s.  And what do elements do?  They form chemical COMPOUNDS.

Elements form compounds. What is your point?

To me anyway.

[no-ice-please]

You know, this kind of talk is fantastically ignorant.  You know, assume you have some planets.  Now, what do you think they might be made out of?  E-l-e-m-e-n-t-s.  And what do elements do?  They form chemical COMPOUNDS.

Elements form compounds. What is your point?

To me anyway.

So why don't you or your tag team girlfriend explain it.

[BlitzandBitz]

The Chinese are much like the Russians you cant really trust them.

[bryant.coleman]

The ban on commercial drilling of resources in Antarctica is due to expire in 2048, unless the Protocol on Environmental Protection is re-ratified by consensus. If the accord does expire, Antarctica could become the next major source of hydrocarbons on earth. The region is believed to have an approximate 200 billion barrels of oil, in addition to being the largest single repository of fresh water on the planet.

I don't think that by 2048, we will be needing hydrocarbons anymore. There are many possibilities. The crude oil reserves can run out. Some alternative green fuel can be found. There is even a possibility that the United Nations might ban the hydrocarbons all together, to prevent global warming and climate change.

[Wilikon]

You know, this kind of talk is fantastically ignorant.  You know, assume you have some planets.  Now, what do you think they might be made out of?  E-l-e-m-e-n-t-s.  And what do elements do?  They form chemical COMPOUNDS.

Elements form compounds. What is your point?

To me anyway.

So why don't you or your tag team girlfriend explain it.

... Waste of time. Not responsible for your basic school education.

[Wilikon]

The ban on commercial drilling of resources in Antarctica is due to expire in 2048, unless the Protocol on Environmental Protection is re-ratified by consensus. If the accord does expire, Antarctica could become the next major source of hydrocarbons on earth. The region is believed to have an approximate 200 billion barrels of oil, in addition to being the largest single repository of fresh water on the planet.

I don't think that by 2048, we will be needing hydrocarbons anymore. There are many possibilities. The crude oil reserves can run out. Some alternative green fuel can be found. There is even a possibility that the United Nations might ban the hydrocarbons all together, to prevent global warming and climate change.

You believe this "New World Order" could be in place before 2048 then...


 

[arbitrage001]

I don't think it will be easy for the Chinese to get oil from Antarctica. According to international treaties, all types of extractive activities are banned there. In addition to this, almost the entire region is claimed by the UN members, such as France and New Zealand. IMO, the Chinese should better concentrate on the petroleum deposits of the South China Sea.

Country with the army makes and changes the rules.