South China Sea

Six nations contest all or parts of the South China Sea, which has led to a series of confrontations between China and some of its neighbors over the potentially oil-and-gas rich area.

Updated: 3 June 2015

Spratly Islands

The Spratlys are another main flashpoint in the South China Sea, where military fortifications belonging to all claimants but Brunei are dotted across some of the world's busiest shipping lanes.

Overlapping claims

Proven reserves

Discoveries near the coasts of Southeast Asian countries in recent years have been mostly natural gas, reinforcing the belief among geologists and explorers that there is more gas than oil in the South China Sea. However, the area may contain significant deposits of undiscovered hydrocarbons.

Sources: Reuters; U.S. government; U.S. Energy Information Administration; International Energy Statistics; South China Sea Regional Analysis Brief; Maritime Safety Administration of China; Centre for International Law, National University of Singapore; PetroVietnam; Deloitte.