A report issued by the World Wildlife Fund warns of the hazards of possible oil or natural gas spills in the Arctic region, citing a “response gap” attributed to a lack of adequate technology, insufficient training, and too little knowledge of how to deal with a disaster of that sort. Given the information obtained, the WWF’s recommendation is to halt exploration and retrieval in the area until the response gap is closed. While th more »

A range of massive and resource-rich undersea mountains are causing a stir in the Arctic Ocean, with Canada and Russia both rushing to claim them as their own while the race heats up to define just who gets what in this valuable new territory. Beginning in March Canadian researchers will be mapping the vast Alpha Range, named for the vessel that carried their discoverers from the US in 1963, with the hope of proving conclusively that the mountains are an extension of the Northern American continent and bolstering Canada’s claim on them. Using seismic devices and underwater explosives, scientists hope to collect enough data to make Canada’s case to the UN to extend its sea boundaries the 2013 deadline set Convention on the Law of the Sea. Researchers will be studying the 2,000 km range from temporary labs atop sea ice to get a better perspective on the phenomena. more »

The Arctic is heating up as an economic no-man’s land, with climate change instigating a change in the way businesses and nations see the ocean to the north. The five Arctic Nations, Russia, Denmark, the United States, Canada, and Norway, are all currently upgrading their individual military outfits in the region in preparation for an inevitable showdown between them to determine who will get what in terms of transportation rights and energy resources. With the possibilities of an estimated 25% of the world’s undiscovered oil and an ocean route that could literally shave thousands of miles off of traditional trade routes, the stakes are high and continue to rise.

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The race to divvy up the large amounts of oil and natural gas reserves presumed to be underneath the Arctic’s seabed is heating up, with Norwegian and Russian companies stating boldly that they will be a large part of the effort to mine resources from the area. The nations and their respective energy companies will be taking active roles as soon as the go-ahead is given for the exploration process to begin, believed to be in the near future since the American government has already made leases available for parcels so that the process to recover the gas and oil can get underway.

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The importance of the Arctic region grows more apparent as the matter of determining military and territorial authority continues to lay unresolved. Rapidly melting ice in the Arctic Ocean is beginning to free up more navigable water, leaving precious energy reserves and newly opened trade routes up for grabs and causing havoc among the nations who share the ocean’s shores. Climate change is largely blamed for the temperature fluctuations that have led to the melting of the ice in the Arctic zone while the debate continues on how to minimize the damage.

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Daily Green: A yearlong Russian mission to study the dynamics of Arctic ice is under way. Given Russia’s claiming of the North Pole earlier this year, the results could have many economic consequences as they do political.

ITAR-TASS, the Russian news agency, published a report today about the mission.
The study, it said, was a critical piece of research that would lead to development of northern Russia, better weather and climate forecasts and – critically – the development of oil and gas fields believed to be locked up beneath the ice.

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Proposed exploration in the Arctic off the coast of Alaska is still being debated as the opening of new oil leases draws near, with environmentalists decrying the move as dangerous to the local ecosystems and wildlife. A 46,000 square mile area in the Chukchi Sea, believed to hold 15 billion barrels of conventionally recoverable oil and 77 trillion cubic feet of conventionally recoverable natural gas, is being opened to petroleum leases next month by the Minerals Management Agency for the first time in over 16 years. The sale, endorsed by Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin and local leaders, is being contested on the grounds that the decision did not take into account current environmental issues in the area or predicted global climate trends.

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Melting ice, potential trade routes, and the promise of oil have all prompted a rush by the five nations of the Arctic to quickly establish a strong military presence area and make claims to territorial rights in the area. Russia, Denmark, Canada, Norway, and the United States are all building up their military capabilities in the Arctic in response to growing concern over which nations will be able to claim the estimated 233 billion barrels of oil that are expected to be recoverable beneath the ocean floor. In addition to making new oil reserves available, melting sea ice may also open up new maritime trade routes through the Arctic Ocean, creating unprecedented new possibilities for shipping and transport.

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