PERSPECTIVE
Resources in the Arctic
Estimation made by the United States Geological
Survey claims that 30% of the world's natural gas and 13%
of its undiscovered oil could be located beneath the Arctic
(Cowling, 2011). Undiscovered petroleum in the vast Russian
Arctic is around 66 Billion Tons of Oil Equivalents (BTOE)
according to the USGS and 142 BTOE according to the
Russian Academy of Science. The vast energy resources of
Russia and Norway account for 52 percent and 12 percent
of the Arctic’s total supply respectively. Norway has been
extracting petroleum from the North Sea since the 1970s
and is expecting new discoveries in the Barents Sea. As far
as oil exploration and production is concerned, the impact
would be positive, except from the environmental point of
view. The activity is regulated to a far extend than that can
induce confl ict.
Most of the countries in the higher latitudes already
play a lead role in the Oil & Gas industry. Having the right
technology and expertise to dig in when the opportunity
arises, those countries will eventually benefi t.
The countries that in history proved to be most enthusiastic
about Oil exploration in the Arctic were USA, Norway,
Russia, Canada, and Denmark (through Greenland).
Russia
According to Russia Today’s report on 2nd August 2007
(Russia Today, 2007), an Arctic expedition led by a team of
Russian scientists planted a Russian fl ag on the North Pole
seabed. This incident was intriguing enough to research
more about the region. The fl ag made out of titanium alloy
placed on the seabed of the earth’s geographical North Pole
was not only a scientifi c feat but also a political feat. It was
a bold statement coming from the Kremlin that Russia is
serious about its claims in the high north. This marks the
beginning of a new race for the Arctic as Russia showed the
world especially the Arctic States that they are now ready to
do more than just claiming.
The Russian Federation is also claiming a large swath of
seabed along the Lomonosov Ridge but confi ned to its sector
of the Arctic along with other countries in the Arctic who
are claiming their parts. The Arctic holds large quantities of
minerals, like phosphate, bauxite, copper, nickel and iron ore.
The Russian mining giant–Norilsk Nickel MMC (Russia’s
largest mining company) leads the world’s production of
nickel and palladium as a by-product. The company has its
own fl eet of vessels to ship out the minerals and owns port
terminals, which help them to extract minerals from the Arctic
and transport them to diff erent parts of the world.
United Kingdom
The UK has always been a formidable force since time
immemorial. They have been known for reaching out to the
far corners of the world to conquer land and colonize them.
However, in the 21st century, their strongholds over the
majority of global aff airs have been wearing off gradually.
Their economy is suff ering as well as they have also opted
to exit the European Union. Amidst all these, they are one
country who in the recent times have shown major interest in
the circumpolar north. They have decided to send 800 troops
to the Arctic region and they will continue to do this every
year for the next decade (Woody, 2018).
The move is to mark their presence in the region and show
their strength as a major country in terms of global infl uence,
especially in the Arctic region. This is a clear act of Arctic’s
militarization. The countries involved are mostly denying
the fact but it seems that the militarization process is going
on in full swing. It should be kept in mind that the region is
gaining importance due to its hydrocarbon deposits and trade
routes, which in turn has made the region a prized possession
for most of the big powers of the world.
China and India
Asian giants like China and India are permanent observer
states of the Arctic Council and they are the ones who have
a great interest in the region. The East Asian manufacturing
giants – China, Japan and South Korea are some of the largest
exporters of goods to Europe and North America. The shorter
route through the Arctic region will help them to cut on cost.
(Gao, 2018)
Recent research suggests that there is a direct link between
the Arctic climate and Indian monsoon. The current pattern of
change in the Arctic climate (especially the melting of Ice and
higher average temperatures) drastically weakens the Indian
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Diplomatist • Vol 6 • Issue 10 • Oct-Nov 2018, Noida • 51