The harsh climate, short work season, and thick ice make the recovery of these resources very difficult. Weather conditions in Antarctica are the harshest in the world and where the world's lowest temperature of -89.6 degrees Celsius was recorded, not to forget the harsh winds which may reach up to 200 miles an hour. .
The economic value of a resource is determined by the current market value of the resource, the cost of moving the resource to where it is needed, and the cost of moving equipment and workers to recover the resource. The many costs involved to mine Antarctica, with estimations based on the current rate and technology, are expected to be so enormous that an operation is almost impossible because it would be so costly.
Health problems for the miners would also be a major factor in Antarctica, which may include fatal illnesses such as hypothermia. Hypothermia in many cases leads to death. Also a two or three degree drop in body temperature can be serious because it enables people to think clearly. Snow blindness may also be one of the problems miners may face by living in Antarctica permanently. The miner's salary would therefore have to be large because of the many risk factors and illnesses they may injure whilst working. It would also be very hard to work in a mine located in Antarctica because of the many layers of clothing that the miners would have to wear.
Another problem of mining in Antarctica is that the seven nations of Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway and United Kingdom have laid political claims to the Antarctic continent. The parts that they have claimed are overlapping, so if minerals were found in an area claimed by more that two countries, there would be major dispute of who would get to mine in the places of overlapped claim.
Socially by mining in Antarctica there would not be many benefits other than creating jobs and income for the employers.