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

Figure 13 depicts different maps (A, B, C) provided by three different pioneer investors in exactly the
same area. As can be seen, none of them look alike. These types of unexplained differences resulted in the
Authority requesting clarification from the pioneer investors as to the source of the discrepancies. In the
event that they were as a result of technological or analysis problems, ISA also requested information on the
adjustments to be made.
Figure 13
SUMMARY OF THE DISCUSSION
The discussions that followed Mr. de Souza’s presentation focused on the scales of the maps that had
been provided to the Authority, the sizes of the blocks that the reserved areas had been divided into, why
they had been divided into these blocks and the discrepancies that he talked about in his presentation.
In response to a question about the scale of the bathymetric maps that he had spoken about, Mr. de
Souza said that they had been produced at a scale of 1/1,000,000. In response to a question on the size of
block 15, he said that the reserved areas in the CCZ had been divided into 23 blocks and pointed out that the
individual blocks had certain characteristics. When these characteristics were viewed in the context of the six
datasets that comprised POLYDAT, some of the results obtained caused concern to ISA. He then described the
inventory, homogenization, critical analysis and validation of the available data and information in POLYDAT.
Mr. de Souza said that one of the steps taken by the Authority in analysing the data and information
contained in POLYDAT was to ensure that there were no discrepancies in the six datasets. He said that, in
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