The exploitation of Antarctic minerals

Exploitation of minerals either from continental shelves or land areas free of ice has yet to take place in the Antarctic. The paper considers pressures, commercial, strategic, and possible depletion of resources elsewhere that might encourage moves towards exploitation. A brief review is given of technical developments that will be required to allow minerals operators to establish themselves in the hostile Antarctic environment. Finally, the issues that arise in the control of mineral exploitation in a region not subject to conventional national authority are noticed and the necessary conditions for the supervision of such activity, and the protection of the Antarctic environment are outlined.