Russia claim 1.2 million sq km in Arctic

Russia claim 1.2 million sq km in Arctic Submitted by Nksagar on Fri, 2007-09-21 03:11. Posted under:

• World
• Russia claim

Arctic 
expedition by Russian to claim their territory and expedition made by
the Russian scientist and tech  proving  their point to claim oil and
gas rich zone.

In 2001, Russia first claimed its right
to the territory, but the UN demanded more evidence.Moscow has
repeatedly argued that the Lomonosov Ridge is part of its land mass -
and now the Natural Resources Ministry believes it has the proof.

Russian
scientists are allowing the country to claim 1.2 million sq km of
potentially energy-rich Arctic territory, the Natural Resources
Ministry said Thursday.

"Preliminary, September 20, results of
an analysis of the Earth's crust show that the structure of the
underwater Lomonosov mountain chain is similar to the world's other
continental shelves, and the ridge is therefore part of Russia's
landmass," the ministry said.

Russia's Oceanology research
institute had undertaken two Arctic expeditions - to the Mendeleyev
underwater chain in 2005 and to the Lomonosov ridge in the summer 2007
- on orders from the ministry to back the claims to the
460,000-square-mile area believed to contain vast oil and gas reserves
and other mineral riches likely to become accessible in future decades
due to man-made global warming.

Researchers conducted deepwater
seismic probes, aerial and geophysical surveys, and seismic-acoustic
probes on the Akademik Fedorov and Rossiya icebreaker.

The ministry said scientists would provide final research results in December 2007.

In
August, Russian researchers also descended 4,200 meters (14,000 feet)
to take seabed samples to bolster the claim to the Polar territory.

Moscow has repeatedly argued that the Lomonosov Ridge is part of its
land mass - and now the Natural Resources Ministry believes it has the
proof.

http://nareshsagar.blogspot.com/2007/09/russia-claim-12-million-sq-km-in-arctic.html