The discoverer? And then whoever wants to buy the extraction rights from her at the market price? What’s even the problem?

So whoever discovers something automatically owns it? What if I discover an oil field that continues under someone else's land - is it mine because I discovered it? Do I get to take all the oil as long as the extraction equipment is only on my land? If my extraction activities lower the value of their land, do I owe them damages?

My point is not to actually get into these details but to point out that capitalism does not give the answers. Capitalism can only start after you have nailed down the rules about how public and private property work.

I agree. Land rights are more complicated than that, indeed.

Because buying extraction rights from corrupt politicians who happen to be in the declared backyard of the empire number one, famous for covert operations .. might have not much to do with "fair capitalism" and investment..