Photo: Ice, Cold, Ecological Risks May Hamper Arctic Oil Rush

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An icebreaker tugs the Kulluk oil rig free from the ice near Herschel Island, just off the north coast of Canada's Yukon Territory.

As countries scramble to lay claim to the Arctic seabed—and its possible supply of fossil fuels—experts caution that extreme ice and cold will pose barriers to safely finding and extracting oil reserves in the remote northern region.

Photograph by Richard Olsenius/NGS

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