No Antarctic mining yet

Press, 20 December 1978, Page 20

No Antarctic mining yet

Commercial exploitation of the Antarctic's mineral

resources is not imminent, according t the man directly in charge of United States research there. Dr E. P. Todd, director of the United States National Science Foundation’s polar programmes was in Christchurch this week. He was asked whether there was anything more than purely scientific interest behind the mineral resource evaluation included in this season’s research programme. Dr Todd said that the foundation’s activities were generally based on just scientific interest. All of its geological and geophysical research was essentially to determine how the continent had evolved. “However, this is a very subjective topic.” he said. •‘There must always be a problem of what constitutes

basic research and what constitutes an interest in commercial exploitation.”

One characteristic of the u mmercial approach, however, was the derailed nature of research required. Generally, the historical-scientific approach was of a much coarser nature. It was the well known policy of the United States not to encourage the idea of commercial exploitation of the Antarctic, said Dr Todd.

He said that some people believed it would be easier politically to ensure the safe future of Antarctica if it was not learnt about very fa t, but he did not hold that view.

The United States had to have a great deal of motivation to spend about SSOM each year on its Antarctic programme, he said. But it was willing to make this investment to ensure the future of the continent. It would be at least two

centuries before there was any full-scale exploitation, sa d Dr Todd. With mineral prices at their present levels it would be uneconomic to extract them.

He believed that interest b United States oil companies in the Antarctic was very slight at present. “When one thinks about the difficulties in oil exploitation of such an inhospitable area as the Ross Sea, for example, then the idea of developing alternati 'e sources of energy becomes more attractive.”

Dr Todd said that no oil company was going to spend anv monev in the Antarctic until there was a strong and stable political situation upon which the l- could base predictions about their investment.

He said, however, that many people did not share his views, and thought commercial exploitation was closer.