Canadian Forces are preparing for a possible environmental disaster. They say that the territorial government doesn't have the resources to do so. The military must be ready to respond in the event of an accident or a terrorattack.




When the ice melts, oildrilling will be easier in the arctic areas. Vast regions will be opened for oil and gas exploration. Shipping to these areas will also be easier and the industrial activities will be booming. Sooner or later something's going to go wrong and the military will then be expected to respond.




[edit on 2006/4/25 by Hellmutt]

Hellmutt, do you have any idea why the canadian government mean by


Is this because of the melting of ice in this mackenzie delta area, or are there other environmental or human concerns they are citing?

Thanks for the post, its quite rare for any military to plan large scale manouvers in such cold and inhospitable areas to to the large cost of supply lines and the effects of the bitter weather on weapons and tech, so it just seems a bit of a stange thing to do unless they have knowledge of some kind of adverse risks arising in that area?

there has always been a force of military ready for the artic invasion since the cold war. we never stop training.im sure there will be oil companys crying about there beloved oil when the ice melts.all i can say is i hope the animals and eskimos find somewhere to hide.....flukemol

Actually Helmut you are wrong. Drilling in the Arctic is best accomplished in the winter when ice roads can be built to exploratory areas to reduce the impact to the tundra. And all most all of the Mac Delta field is offshore. It is very doubtful offshore rigs would be allowed in there. Directional drilling could be accomplished from a gravel pad on the beach, but I doubt they will go to that expense at current cost it is probably right at 10,000$ a foot to drill a hole up there. They will not go directional till they have proven reserves. So far all is based on seismic logging technique. 9 out of 10 holes drilled come up dry. When the Sea freezes they will move a drilling rig out there and build a pad like the one in the upper right hand corner of your post. And proceed to drill.
And at each side of the platform 24/7 will be two Natives with rifles prepared to kill me or my brothers if we approach the rig. Natives are only allowed to kill Polar Bear. And we are the largest carnivore on the planet and people are tender

Polar Bear

hey flukemol, do you think your country men are therefore posturing for the international community as a kind of "This is our turf and we have the means and military might to protect it" signal? It would make a lot of sense if there are a lot of oil deposits in the area.

Im kinda ignorant and uninformed of the kind of military assets the canadian military possess....do you have any futher information on what types of troops/numbers, combat vehicles and tactics are being used in this training manouver (unfortunately im really quite in the ignorant and uninformed as to the military power/prowess of the canadian army, so any info is gratefully recieved)

The exercise is not so much for a military response as it is for a environmental. Technology has come a long way in spill and disaster response and arctic wear since the 70's when troops were outfitted for a Siberian attack from the USSR So they have to get their crap together, cause it is not a matter of if but when. That far north a terrorist attack would be amazing, an Arab above the Arctic Circlecrap he would freeze to death in summer or be shot first. No if they were going to attack the pipeline it would only be accomplished by an attack between Fairbanks and Valdez.

oh i think theres a real threat to the artic enviroment and we need to perpare for enviromental disaster.dislocating of people and animals might be our next big peace keeping mission.we already been on fourty missions of peace keeping in the last 10 years. the numbers of military you might want to go to an canadian military sight for that info.oil deposits might get into a debate in the incoming years.governments might think they can come up to the artic for free oil.i can see a war over the polar regions for oil is coming.......

thanks, much appreciate my friend