Russia Uncovers 511 Billion-Barrels of Oil in Antarctica: One of the Largest Oil Discoveries That Could Threaten the Antarctic Peace

https://dailygalaxy.com/2025/11/russia-uncovers-511-billion-barrels-of-oil-in-antarctica/

Well, so much for scientific research in Antarctica…it’s about to be a war zone.

485 points · 101 comments · view on lemmy.world

101 Comments

homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world · 158 pts · 293d (4 replies)

Death to Oil

ceenote@lemmy.world · 45 pts · 293d

Add this to the list of "problems the wealthy make sure we don't solve."

faintwhenfree@lemmus.org · 13 pts · 293d

We should make a song, death..death to the O.I.L.... Same tune as Bob Vylan did in Glastonbury.

SeductiveTortoise@piefed.social · 10 pts · 293d

I fear it's rather death for, or death by oil for us.

ameancow@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 292d
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Kyrgizion@lemmy.world · 123 pts · 293d (12 replies)

The year is 2070. Common daily temps are between 35-45°C. Only 200k humans survive globally, and barely.

They still use fossil fuels to generate electricity...

cygnus@lemmy.ca · 63 pts · 293d

A truce has been reached between the forces of AE-X11 Musk and the virtual consciousness of Jeff Bezos as they vow to unite against the tribal council of the former Russian Federation to secure the remaining oil reserves in the desert plains of the Antarctic continent

Triumph@fedia.io · 20 pts · 293d (1 reply)

If there’s only 200K people left, everything is going to be fine … for them.

Bocky@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 292d

The robots are relying on fossil fuel too

A_A@lemmy.world · 13 pts · 293d

Human population now being only 0.00025% of its peak, their greenhouse gas emissions are now insignificant, so, the planet is now finally recovering, fast.

Edit : obviously I'm not a writer.

avidamoeba@lemmy.ca · 6 pts · 293d (3 replies)

daily temps are between 35-45°C

Not in Russia. :D

Deceptichum@quokk.au · 3 pts · 293d (2 replies)
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avidamoeba@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 292d (1 reply)

Maybe, but look at that territory, it's perfectly positioned to unlock more agriculutural land northward as the world further south burns. I bet the Russian ruling class is eagerly awaiting this scenario that would put them towards the top of the pile in world powers. They may end up in a position to pick and choose from waves of immigrants.

jj4211@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 291d

Problem is that it isn't that simple. The general fact we do know is that the atmosphere will be more energetic and, on average, the globe will be hotter. The more energetic facet means more weather activity and changes to various currents. So local weather may be more impacted by a change in wind current temperature wise. The change in storm activity may be the bigger concern rather than temperatures. We don't know how much viable agriculture will be possible or exactly where it will be. Also there's the question of soil quality. It's a dangerous gambit to assume a straightforward "Lots of snowy land now means lots of agriculture in a warmed globe".

j_elgato@leminal.space · 4 pts · 292d

200K?

Hey everyone, check it out, this guy still has some optimism left!

vga@sopuli.xyz · 2 pts · 292d

Doesn't need a lot of oil to upkeep a population of 200k humans though.

ameancow@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 292d (1 reply)
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Kyrgizion@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 292d

I have seen the Animatrix. We all know where this is going.

Gormadt@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 72 pts · 292d (1 reply)

Born too late to die in war over oil, born too early to die in war over oil, born just in time to die in war over oil.

INHALE_VEGETABLES@aussie.zone · 25 pts · 292d

Shhhh no talk only die

tal@lemmy.today · 63 pts · 293d (1 reply)

https://www.worldometers.info/oil/

There are 1.65 trillion barrels of proven oil reserves in the world as of 2016.

So another extra 30% or so.

FartMaster69@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 41 pts · 293d

Yeah, we already have more than enough to ruin the world.

Triumph@fedia.io · 48 pts · 293d (15 replies)

For comparison, Venezuela has the world's largest oil reserve at 303 billion barrels.

Winter is coming.

SeeMarkFly@lemmy.ml · 44 pts · 293d (5 replies)

Venezuela has the world’s largest oil reserve

Is THAT why we have an aircraft carrier off the coast?

They've got oil and they're NOT sharing it with rich people?

madeinthebackseat@lemmy.world · 25 pts · 293d

Yes. Duh.

decipher_jeanne@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 9 pts · 292d (2 replies)

I mean to be fair they just don't have the infrastructure to extract it anymore. Economic sanctions since the Obama years have mean that the equipment to extract crude has become hard to maintain.

A graph showing the steep decline of venezuelan oil production since the US economic sanctions

SeeMarkFly@lemmy.ml · 2 pts · 292d (1 reply)

So, because they can't use it, we should take it?

decipher_jeanne@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 8 pts · 292d

No. But they aren't refusing to sell it. They just don't have it. And are under various sanctions by the US, EU and most south American countries over human rights abuse so they probably couldn't sell oil anyway.

Actually it's kinda ironic that Venezuela is under sanctions for human rights abuse but not the Gulf states.

Oh and I wasn't actually trying to go anywhere with my comment but I do realize how it sounds now. But I am not in favor of invading anyone

0x0@lemmy.zip · 5 pts · 292d

Is THAT why we have an aircraft carrier off the coast?

Yes.

Someonelol@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 10 pts · 293d (1 reply)

Winter is coming.

More like perpetual summer

SocialMediaRefugee@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 293d

More like the Permian era summer.

HubertManne@piefed.social · 5 pts · 293d (3 replies)

This could be a good thing for venezuelan fishermen.

avidamoeba@lemmy.ca · 3 pts · 293d (2 replies)

I read somewhere that a large amount of the refining capacity in America is geared towards dilbit like the one that used to come from Venezuela and now from Canada. Perhaps Venezuelan fishermen's oil is still cheaper in the end and therefore more desirable.

krooklochurm@lemmy.ca · 10 pts · 293d (1 reply)

Won't somebody PLEASE think of the cocaine?

Not that Venezuela has any. But I think we can all agree that legalizing cocaine and doing lots of cocaine is the most important issue of the day.

COCAINE!!!!!!

SeeMarkFly@lemmy.ml · 4 pts · 293d

Think of it as a weight loss drug for rich people.

gressen@lemmy.zip · 3 pts · 293d

Not for much longer, given the current events.

beemikeoak@lemmynsfw.com · 2 pts · 293d

And the reason why they got bad hombres on boats these days.

SocialMediaRefugee@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 293d

And Trump is flexing the military at them.

solrize@lemmy.ml · 43 pts · 293d (3 replies)

It's almost poetic. The oil got there because there was once vegetation on Antarctica, that decayed over the eons. Now the thirst for oil will lead to heating the planet enough to melt the ice again.

cyberpunk007@lemmy.ca · 7 pts · 293d

Kind of like a runaway diesel.

BobWehadababyitsaboy@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 292d

To be fair, the antarctic continent wasn't always at earth's southern pole, it was at a lower lattitude, so implying the overall earth temperature is why it wasn't covered in ice is less significant.

SendMePhotos@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 293d

And then an immediate ice age!

cheeseburger@piefed.ca · 40 pts · 293d (6 replies)

Ffs, just fuck off, Russia.

SocialMediaRefugee@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 293d (5 replies)

Hate to break it to you but Russia isn't the only member of the petroleum industry.

cheeseburger@piefed.ca · 15 pts · 292d (2 replies)

Yeah, but this is about Russia, Mr. Whatabout.

SocialMediaRefugee@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 292d (1 reply)

Because no one else would touch those reserves except Russia? It is moot anyway because it is in the UK claimed region. Sorry it isn't as simple as you'd like it to be.

https://www.adamsmith.org/blog/no-the-russians-havent-found-oil-reserves-in-antarctica

GrammarPolice@lemmy.world · -1 pts · 292d

Fuck the West...

You happy now?

mfed1122@discuss.tchncs.de · 8 pts · 292d (1 reply)

But Russia is the one doing oil prospecting while masking it as seismic research which obviously skirts the intent of the Antarctic Treaty, which other countries actually do honor

SocialMediaRefugee@lemmy.world · -2 pts · 292d

Reported discovery: A Russian company, Rosio Oil Exploration, has claimed to have found large oil deposits in Antarctica.

Location: The alleged discovery is reported to be in a region of Antarctica claimed by the UK.

So the UK would be the one extracting it. It may be complete bullshit too.

https://www.adamsmith.org/blog/no-the-russians-havent-found-oil-reserves-in-antarctica

fox2263@lemmy.world · 39 pts · 293d

Who put the barrels there!!!

Strider@lemmy.world · 39 pts · 292d (5 replies)

It's amazing how we always find ways to speedrun our downfall.

RagingRobot@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 292d (2 replies)

Hey what is this we? Don't bring me into this. It's always the same few assholes at the top doing it all

FlyingCircus@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 292d

Is it not incumbent upon the rest of society to stop a maniac when he threatens to burn everything down? Inaction in the face of evil is complicity. We all need to start organizing for the revolution.

Strider@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 292d

Sorry, a lot stuff happens whether we want it or not. And it affects us all.

Manifish_Destiny@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 292d (1 reply)

We? Bring them behind the shed in my back yard and 'we' won't have this problem.

I'd happily eat some long pig to reduce the overabundance of whiny bitches with money.

Strider@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 291d

Now, see, this is what we are not allowed to talk about. But it leads to this.

foodandart@lemmy.zip · 32 pts · 293d (2 replies)

More to the point, what will the consequences be of that much carbon being repatriated into the atmosphere? I hear that Siberia has had some awfully hot, miserable summers recently. It’s likely not going to go over well with the climate problems Russia is having.

Hmmmm.

salacious_coaster@infosec.pub · 10 pts · 293d (1 reply)

The consequences aren't a secret. Look up the Planetary Solvency actuarial report from earlier this year, for starters.

DeathsEmbrace@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 293d

This report doesn't talk about acidification tho. The ocean could drop us faster than light.

As the ocean warms more co2 can dissolve so its an exponential rise

Axolotl_cpp@feddit.it · 32 pts · 293d (9 replies)

We are cooked guys

Witchfire@lemmy.world · 17 pts · 293d

Billionaires caused this

tornavish@lemmy.cafe · 16 pts · 293d (6 replies)

We have been cooked for a while. I don’t think there’s anything after well-done, except burnt.

almost1337@lemmy.zip · 22 pts · 293d (2 replies)

tornavish@lemmy.cafe · 7 pts · 293d (1 reply)

This is incredible

TheBat@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 292d
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Triumph@fedia.io · 11 pts · 293d (1 reply)

It shall be called the Maillard Era.

FosterMolasses@leminal.space · 1 pts · 292d

Lmaoooooooooo

Kyrgizion@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 293d

After well done it's "congratulations".

SinningStromgald@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 293d

Well done and approaching burnt quickly.

SocialMediaRefugee@lemmy.world · 31 pts · 293d

FFS lets move on from trying to suck every last drop of oil out of the earth's crust.

excral@feddit.org · 29 pts · 292d (3 replies)

The issue with fossile fuels or more generally oil dependency isn't the limited availability. It's that they're massive deposits of stored carbon and if we start burning them they get released to the atmosphere. With the oil deposits already known if we use them all, we'd have killed the planet long before the last drop of oil is used. We don't need any new deposits.

echodot@feddit.uk · 8 pts · 292d (2 replies)

You think Russia cares?

FlyingCircus@lemmy.world · 19 pts · 292d

Show me a single country capable of extracting this oil who cares. There isn’t one. This is a capitalism problem, not a Russia problem.

Knock_Knock_Lemmy_In@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 292d

A war to extract the oil from Antarctica would be difficult to win.

A war to stop extraction from Antarctica would be easy to win.

HotsauceHurricane@lemmy.world · 28 pts · 293d

Oh for fucks sake.

0x0@lemmy.zip · 26 pts · 292d (3 replies)

Trump's about to liberate Antarta... Aunt Tart... Antitartica... the place where the polar bears live!

MajorasTerribleFate@lemmy.zip · 9 pts · 292d (1 reply)

Fun fact, though you may have known. Arctic basically means "of the bear" because of the northern position of Ursa Major (bear constellation, also the Big Dipper). Antarctic means "not of the bear". Because of how words work, it's also Arctic = "north" and Antarctic = "anti-north".

J92@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 291d

Also pretty fun coincidence that the northern one is the only one with actual bears.

phoenixz@lemmy.ca · 5 pts · 292d

This comment just made me shudder, it sounds too real

frezik@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 25 pts · 293d (11 replies)

Just for context, the US uses around 7 billion barrels per year. Can keep the SUVs going for the better part of a century.

SocialMediaRefugee@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 293d (10 replies)

Assholes can roll coal for a century.

JamesTBagg@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 292d (9 replies)

What's weird is that Gale Banks, one of the godfathers of turbocharging and a huge name in diesel performance, is adamant that rolling coal is stupid. Especially in modern engines with lightening fast fuel control systems... more forgivable in older diesels with mechanical injection systems. But he says it's money and horsepower literally blowing out your exhaust, being a internal combustion engine enthusiast myself I don't understand wanting to leave performance blowing away in the wind; that's YOUR unburnt diesel blowing away! In THIS economy!

0x0@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 292d (8 replies)

No matter the advances, the Otto cycle will always be 25% efficient, at most.

JamesTBagg@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 292d (7 replies)

Last I heard modern gas engines have reached a smidge over 30% thermal efficiency because the pure Otto cycle hasn't been used in decades. Mazda(?) recently announced an engine over 40% efficiency using an Atkinson design I think. Superchargers and more Turbochargers boost efficiency more by recycling waste energy.

But I'm not sure any of that matters because diesels aren't Otto Cycle.

0x0@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 292d (6 replies)

diesels aren’t Otto Cycle.

Are they not four-stroke?

JamesTBagg@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 292d (5 replies)

All Otto cycle are 4-stroke but not all 4-stroke are Otto cycle.

0x0@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 292d

Such as Wankels, ok, just replace "Otto cycle" with 4-stroke in my original comment.

standarduser@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 17 pts · 293d

Hmm sounds like a good reason to have the ice all melt and speed up us dependency on it - USA 2026 probably

UltraMagnus0001@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 293d

So, they were looking

DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 292d

Any chance the capitalists will just leave it in the ground? No? I didn't think so.

Binette@lemmy.ml · 9 pts · 292d

This title legit made me wanna not wake up tomorrow 😭

jaykrown@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 293d (2 replies)

Just in time for it to not matter as oil demand declines and renewable energy takes over.

CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 292d

Not if the regressives have anything to say about it.

SCmSTR@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 1 pts · 291d

I mean, it's arguably always better to not entirely deplete something, even if you don't "need" it.

That being said... Ughhhh

glibg@lemmy.ca · 6 pts · 292d (3 replies)

Solar is moving so fast, no way this will be economically feasible to draw up. Leave it in the ground!!

RidderSport@feddit.org · 2 pts · 291d (2 replies)

True, but we will still need it for plastic, just look at temu et cetera

glibg@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 291d (1 reply)

If we stop burning it for energy I think there will be plenty left for plastic without needing to dig new wells.

StopSpazzing@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 290d

Cost more to recycle which is the problem. If it was all biodegradable from plants would be best.

jmf@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 4 pts · 291d

Wasn't this in news cycles back in July? I feel like I'm going crazy here.

Fleur_@lemmynsfw.com · 3 pts · 291d

In before we deliberately start melting antarctic ice to more easily access oil deposits

SoupBrick@pawb.social · 2 pts · 293d
ABetterTomorrow@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 291d

What’s oil?