Russia, China discuss joint drilling in Gamburtsev subglacial mountains in center of Antarctica

MOSCOW. Oct 1 (Interfax) - Russia and China are in talks over joint drilling of the Gamburtsev subglacial mountains in the middle of Antarctica, the Federal Agency for Mineral Resources (Rosnedra) said on Telegram.

In September, Beijing and Changchun hosted international conferences on Antarctic exploration, which were attended, among others, by specialists from VNIIOkeangeologia, a Rosnedra agency.

The attendees discussed details of a Russian-Chinese project to drill in Antarctica and future cooperation plans. In particular, they analyzed plans on geophysical surveying of a well on Princess Elizabeth Land during the 2024-2025 season.

In addition, a proposal was made for a Russian-Chinese project to drill the Gamburtsev subglacial mountains in central Antarctica. "By the scientific results which could be obtained during the drilling, this project could be called one of the most advanced industry projects of our time," the statement said.