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In Detail —— Russia Makes  Claims to  the Arctic  Seabed ——

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Arctic Sovereignty  –  Russian Expedition  –  Shipping Lanes  –  Oil & Gas  –  August 2007 Russia  Explores  Arctic  Ocean  to  bolster  its  Claims  to  Polar Oil  &  Gas  Reserves ,  Fishing  Rights ,  and   Shipping   Lanes Edited  excerpts  from  an  article  published  by  the Christian  Science  Monitor  [1] Ed:  Russia is  asserting  its claim  to the North Pole for the same reasons that  Denmark  (via Greenland)  began to stake its claim in 2005  –  oil,  gas,  and other strategic resources.  In addition,  over the long term,  all northern nations  want  some control over  the lucrative sea lanes leading from Europe to Japan, China, and southeast Asia. Like  Denmark,  Russia  is  basing  its  claim  to the  North Pole, and  the adjoining  seabed,  on a stated connection between its continental shelf and the  Lomonosov  Ridge. (See enhanced satellite image below.)  This is an edited version of an article from the Christian Science Monitor. The  1982  UN  Law  of  the  Sea  Convention  leaves  open  the  possibility  of  extending  the  EEZ The 1982  Law of the Sea Convention leaves open the possibility that  the exclusive economic  zone [EEZ]  around each coastal  nation  could  be  extended.  But  first,  the country must  prove that the seafloor is actually an extension of its geological territory.  In 2001,  Russia submitted documents to the  United  Nations,  claiming  that  the  Lomonosov  Ridge,  which  runs  under  the  Arctic  Ocean, is actually an extension of  the  Siberian continental shelf.  At that time,  Russia's claim was rejected. In  June  2007,  a  group  of  Russian  scientists  returned  from a six-week  Arctic  mission.  They  insisted  that  they  had  found solid evidence to support  the Russian claim.  That  mission has paved  the  way  for  this  current  expedition  –  a  journey  from Murmansk  to  the  North  Pole.  The huge, nuclear-powered ice- breaker  Rossiya  [right]  will  push  through a  path  to the  Pole. Global  warming  has brought a  new urgency.  "A  large  part of the Arctic will become open to economic exploitation in the next few decades," says Alexei Maleshenko, of  Moscow's  Carnegie Center. "The race for the  North Pole is becoming very exciting." Russia  begins  to  stake  its  claim  to the  North  Pole  and  a  large  portion  of  the  Arctic Seabed The  Rossiya  cleared the path  for the  research  ship,  Akademik  Fyodorov, staffed by approximately 130 scientists.  During  this more extensive investi- gation,  Russian  scientists were provided with a unique opportunity to do a really detailed analysis of the seafloor. At their disposal were 2 Mir deep-sea submersibles  [left]  –  already well - known in the West  for  their  exhaustive exploration of the  remains  of  the  RMS  Titanic.  On 29  July  2007,  Russian  pilots  tested  these  submersibles  in  the  region  around  Franz  Josef  Land in  the  Barents  Sea. "It  was  the first - ever  dive of  manned  [submersibles] under the Arctic ice,"  reported  Anatoly  Sagelevich,  one of  the test  pilots, during  an  interview  with  ITAR - Tass   –   Russia's  official  news  agency. Data  collected  to  be  submitted  to  the  UN  Commission  on the  Limits of  the  Continental  Shelf The  upcoming  dive  beneath  the  North Pole  will be  far more difficult,  and  will  involve collecting data about the age,  sediment thickness,  and types of rock, as well as any other evidence to support Russia's claim.  This data will be presented to the  United   Nations   Commission  on  the   Limits  of the  Continental   Shelf  –  a body of scientists chosen by parties to the Law of  the Sea  Convention. The  longer - term  goal ,  said  Mr.  Sagelevich ,  is  to  get  used  to  working  in  that  environment permanently.   "The   Arctic   Ocean  is  rich  in   natural   resources,   but  we  must  find  a  reliable method  for  their  development,"  he  said.   "This  expedition  is  very  important  for  the  solution of  this complicated  task.   No  one  has  ever  tried  to  dive  –  and  work  –  under  the  Arctic  ice." Other  Northern  Nations  claim  attachment  to  the  Lomonosov  Ridge  and  Adjacent  Seabed Canada, which has the second-longest Arctic coastline, is  currently  conducting  a  $ 70  million  project  to  map the seabed  on its side of  the  Lomonosov  Ridge.  This may be a  prelude  to submitting  its own  data to the UN. This  month  [July  2007], Prime Minister Stephen Harper pledged to build  eight new ice-capable  patrol ships and construct a deepwater port to defend Canada's interests. As  global  warming  unlocks  the  many  treasures lying under  the  Arctic  Ocean,  it is  likely that  existing  legal forums will enable boundaries to be agreed upon among the key players. "I don't see why this issue should make worse  relations  between  Russia  and  other  countries," commented   Pavel   Zolotaryov,  deputy  director  of  the official  Institute of  USA - Canada  Studies  in  Moscow. "We can solve  differences  [using  scientific  data]."  [2]     [1]   'Russia  races  for  Arctic  Resources'  –  Christian  Science  Monitor  –  31  July  2007     [2]   On 08 August 2007,  Reuters reported  that  the manned submersibles allowed the Russians             to plant a flag on the seafloor at  the position of the North Pole. Back in Moscow after their             week-long  expedition,  the Russian scientists  are now planning a return  to the  Polar  Cap.             This time  they  will  be using   unmanned  submersibles  for a more extensive  collection of             relevant geological data. As President Vladimir Putin pointed out, Russia needs to shore up             its claim with substantive scientific data.  Then, these claims must  be discussed with other             Arctic nations  –  Canada, the US,  Norway,  Denmark, and the semi-autonomous Greenland.