Postoji nešto što se zove Antarctic treaty, potpisnik je i Rusija.
The British Antarctic Territory is a section of Antarctica claimed by the United Kingdom. It is situated in the region south of 60°S latitude between 20°W and 80°W. The territory covers an area of about 1,709,400 square kilometers, making it one of the largest territorial claims in Antarctica.
The British Antarctic Territory is largely composed of two sections:
1. **West of the Antarctic Peninsula**: This includes the base of the Peninsula down to the South Pole.
2. **East towards Coats Land**: This spans eastwards from the Antarctic Peninsula.
It is important to note that under the Antarctic Treaty System, territorial claims in Antarctica are held in abeyance, meaning they are neither recognized nor disputed by the treaty parties as long as the treaty is in force. Thus, while the UK administers this territory, the claim is not universally recognized and overlaps with claims made by Chile and Argentina in the same region.
U svakom slučaju, pronalazak nafte potpada pod taj ugovor, pa ni Rusi ni Britanci nemaju nikakvo pravo korišćenja.te nafte, po Madridskom sporazumu koji efektivno svima zabranjuje bilo kakvo kopanje rude i nafte tamo, osim u svrhe naučnog istraživanja (što je upravo ovaj slučaj).