Workshop on the Establishment of a Geological Model of ...

One of the conditions for registration as a pioneer investor was for applicants to submit a total
application area of sufficiently large estimated commercial value, to allow two mining operations. Along with
the application, the applicant was required to submit all the data obtained with respect to both parts. If the
applicant met all the requirements, one of the two areas was to be allocated to the applicant, with the
exclusive right to carry out pioneer activities in this area, while the second was designated as a reserved area,
which could be developed by the operating arm of the International Seabed Authority, called the Enterprise.
A primary responsibility of the Authority is to assess the quantities of metals contained in polymetallic
nodules of the area that might become available to the international community, should the economic
viability of mining and processing be established. In this regard, the Authority undertook a resource
assessment of the polymetallic nodule deposits in reserved areas in the Clarion‐Clipperton Zone, using the
data and information that were submitted by pioneer investors for registration. These data and information
are contained in the Authority’s POLYDAT database. It was discovered that the data and information
submitted by the six applicants with respect to areas reserved through their applications, while allowing for a
resource assessment, are not sufficient to allow for an estimate of the quantities of metals to be found in
deposits in these areas with a reasonable amount of confidence. Mr. Kaiser de Souza, one of the members of
the Secretariat, a marine geologist, and Dr. Robert de L’Etoile of Geostat, will later this morning, make
presentations on the Authority’s effort to assess resources in the reserved areas.
In January 2003, the Authority convened a meeting of expert scientists to make recommendations on
how to overcome these problems and to recommend a programme of work to provide the Authority with the
means of estimating the quantities of metals to be found in these areas, with a reasonable degree of
confidence. The meeting, noting that the Authority is not financially equipped to assess these resources
through exploring marine areas under its purview, recommended, inter alia, that the most cost‐effective
approach for the Authority would be the establishment of a geological model of the deposits in the Clarion
Clipperton Fracture Zone.
The enormous size of the Clarion‐Clipperton Zone, and varying quality of data and information on
polymetallic nodule deposits to be found there, defines the challenge of the workshop. While sampling can
be described as relatively sparse, many factors have been identified as being indicative of the occurrences of
nodules. It would be useful if the model that the workshop defines incorporates these non‐confidential data
parameters and tests their relationship to good nodule grade and abundance. This would enable the
international community to profit or benefit over time as these hypotheses are tested. At the same time, we
must find a way of taking advantage of all the station data that are available on the Clarion‐Clipperton
Fracture Zone, for our model. As you are well aware, the Authority, for its part, has data and information on
the reserved areas of the Clarion‐Clipperton Zone. Other data are to be found with contractors and potential
contractors, who undertook significant exploration work in the 1970s and 1980s. You must consider ways of
creating the quantitative and qualitative model that both contractors and potential contractors feel confident
with. Our intent, subsequent to your meeting here, is to convene a meeting of the contractors to discuss
with them the possibility of cooperation by them, in obtaining the necessary data and information in a
manner acceptable to them. These data and information, as well as data and information available in the
public domain, will improve the quality of this model.
We will also try to gain access to the data and information acquired by the currently inactive consortia
that undertook nodule resource development during the 1970s.
In any case, it is my hope that, during the coming days, the workshop will visit some of these issues and
assist the Authority with a programme of work that makes it possible to acquire and utilize all relevant
available data and information. I also hope that the agenda of the workshop and the pace of your work will
give you an opportunity to see some of parts of my country.
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