On-going trade wars combined with the increasing consumption and depletion of known resources will necessitate the search for new deposits in poorly explored or unexplored areas, such as the polar regions. Antarctica is unique among the world’s continents in having no native population and state sovereignty; the continent has also been identified as potentially harboring extensive hydrocarbon and mineral resources. To protect the fragile Antarctic environment, the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (1991) banned any mineral activity for a 50-year period, except for scientific purposes. The Protocol will be renewed in 2048, and discussions of possible future mining in the region has already begun. With the improvement of drilling and mining technology, the risk of future mining activity on the continent is increasing. Moreover, extensive mining operations in the Arctic demonstrate the technical and economic feasibility of mining activities in harsh polar environments. The protection of the fragile Antarctic environment must be prioritized; however, maintaining the balance between environmental protection and commercial and national interests in resource development is problematic.