Canadian and US officials are preparing to start a joint, five-week joint survey of a section of the Beaufort Sea that both countries lay claim to

摘要

The survey will help the two countries determine the extent of their continental shelves as the rush to tap the Arctic's resources gains pace. The Arctic nations -- Canada, the US, Russia, Norway and Denmark -- are currently gathering evidence to file claims for huge tracts of the Arctic seabed under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Currently, coastal nations can claim rights in an exclusive economic zone that extends 200 nautical miles from land.