A petition by Costa Rica before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to determine clear maritime boundaries on the issue of international borders with Nicaragua goes beyond the intentions of President Daniel Ortega to build a transoceanic canal. It is the possibility of oceanic exploration for sources of oil and methane by Nicaragua that has Costa Rica worried.

A recent article by Pablo Rojas of online news daily CRHoy.com features the comments and observations of oceanographer Guillermo Quiros, who explained that Nicaragua may seek to claim a great part of the Costa Rica Thermal Convection Dome, which is a rich source of nourishment for marine species. Deep below this biological dome, plenty of fossil fuels and methane ostensibly await.

“All this information is well-known to the Nicaraguan government; for this reason, they have already sketched oil exploration maps that include a great part of the dome that has historically belonged to Costa Rica… The potential fuel resources in that dome could give Costa Rica energy independence for at least 250 years.”

The comments above have been previously discussed in great detail on the pages of the Costa Rica Star. Here is an excerpt from an article on the matter, which was published two years ago:

The ocean floor beneath the Dome is rich in methane chlathrate, a byproduct of the life and death process of the rich biomass closer to the surface. For millions of years, the sediments of the ocean floor off our Pacific coasts have been accumulating millions of metric tons of methane clathrate, also known as fire ice, a compound that is believed to be far more powerful that natural gas in terms of energy production. Oceanographic research vessels bearing flags of industrialized countries have been sailing the oceans past our international maritime demarcation line, taking samples from the depths. The result of the research thus far? Costa Rica is ripe for exploration and prospecting of fire ice, something that could make Ticos richer than the oil-producing nations of the Middle East.

The administration of President Ortega in Nicaragua has been on a roll lately with regard to making dubious claims to islands and ocean sectors in the Caribbean and Pacific coasts. This seemingly expansionist policy, which includes the embarrassing Google Maps invasion of 2010, has resulted in international demands not just by Costa Rica but also Colombia and Jamaica.

Chancellor of the Republic Enrique Castillo has stated his concern that Nicaragua has been offering its land and oceanic resources to foreign energy exploration firms for some time, and that they may be offering Costa Rica’s territory in the process. Even with a favorable resolution by the ICJ, Costa Rica is concerned that Nicaragua may resort to slant drilling, which many believe was at the heart of the first Persian Gulf War in 1990.

For her part, Costa Rica is not interested in exploring fossil or natural gas resources on the Dome:

Given Costa Rica’s track record of resisting mineral exploration; to wit: the Crucitas affair and the reluctance of prospecting for rare earth, it is unlikely that we will see initiatives for the exploitation of the Costa Rica Dome. If anything, it is incumbent upon Ticos to protect the Dome and the life it produces.