Minerals Report - International Seabed Authority
Minerals Report - International Seabed Authority Minerals Report - International Seabed Authority
Dr. Herzig summarized the technical requirements for the resource assessment and mining of seafloor massive sulphides as consisting of the need for portable seafloor drilling and coring systems that can be used on ships of opportunity, and that have depth capabilities of between 50 to 100 metres and core recoveries of more than 50 per cent. He said that with these basic requirements, there would be major advances in research and in resource assessment. With respect to mining, Dr. Herzig said that since nothing had been tried, mining technology needed to be developed. With regard to the exploration and mining technology for cobalt-rich crusts, Dr. Herzig said that the exploration technology is very similar to the exploration technology for massive sulphides deposits. Mining however he said would be different. Using a slide that depicted a crusts deposit, Dr. Herzig pointed out how the crusts form on a substrate rock. He said that this situation is an important issue for mining because of the need to efficiently separate the crusts from the substrate rock. He said that there have been experiments to mine such deposits with hydro jet systems and to use heavyduty rollers to crack the crusts into fragments, and to separate them from substrate rock. Dr. Herzig said that both systems need further development and full testing. He also said that hey have not been tested because there is no industry push right now. In relation to economic sizes of mining operations, Dr. Herzig said that recently a report was published that indicated mining at least 1 million tonnes of crusts per year. This mining capacity assumes a separation efficiency of 80 per cent, and substrate rock dilution of 20 per cent. Dr. Herzig therefore pointed out that large crusts deposits would have to be mined in conjunction with favourable metal prices. With regard to crusts mining technology, Dr. Herzig described the situation as very similar to that of massive sulphides. SUMMARY OF THE DISCUSSIONS Following Dr. Herzig’s presentation the discussions focussed on four matters: the relationship between hydrothermal activity in the mound and base and precious metals distribution within the mound, the economic INTERNATIONAL SEABED AUTHORITY 328
prospects for “ white smokers”, data confidentiality issues concerning the Ocean Drilling Programme’s project to drill the Manus Basin that is now under an exploration license, and known problems with potable drills. Based on the results reported by Dr. Herzig on drilling the active TAG hydrothermal field, in particular that the base and precious metals are concentrated in the upper few metres of the mound, Dr. Herzig was asked whether the mounds are still building up and whether there are land-based analogues of this geological setting. Dr. Herzig said that as the mound continued to grow, as hydrothermal fluids circulate through the mound, metals from below would be absorbed into the fluids and would be precipitated at the sulphide/ seawater interface. He did say however, that no relics or former enrichment zones were found during drilling. He also said that core recovery was only 12 per cent, suggesting that a lot of information was lost. With regard to land-based analogues, Dr. Herzig said that such analogues are not often found. When found, the sulphides in the upper five metres cover an extensive area and are able to support a viable mine. He said that the setting that was discovered could have developed because of either the age of the system or because of differences in the source rocks. Dr. Herzig was asked whether “white smokers” produce base and precious metal sulphides, and if so, at what depth such deposits are to be found. He was also asked if these deposits would contain the same metals as found in “black smokers”. Dr. Herzig said that “white smokers” would indeed generate sulphides deposits but that these would occur at several dozens of metres depth. Dr. Herzig described the process whereby sulphides would be deposited in a white smoker system, referring to it as shallow mixing. In relation to the statement made in Dr. Herzig’s presentation that the Ocean Drilling Programme will be drilling the massive sulphides deposit in the Manus basin (Leg 193), he was asked how this could be done since that deposit is part of the exploration license covered in the agreement between Nautilus and the Government of Papua New Guinea. It was pointed out that normally the approved targets of ODP drilling are scientific and not INTERNATIONAL SEABED AUTHORITY 329
- Page 286 and 287: Figure 2 Simplified representation
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- Page 308 and 309: together with mucus that is secrete
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prospects for “ white smokers”, data confidentiality issues concerning the<br />
Ocean Drilling Programme’s project to drill the Manus Basin that is now<br />
under an exploration license, and known problems with potable drills.<br />
Based on the results reported by Dr. Herzig on drilling the active TAG<br />
hydrothermal field, in particular that the base and precious metals are<br />
concentrated in the upper few metres of the mound, Dr. Herzig was asked<br />
whether the mounds are still building up and whether there are land-based<br />
analogues of this geological setting.<br />
Dr. Herzig said that as the mound continued to grow, as hydrothermal<br />
fluids circulate through the mound, metals from below would be absorbed<br />
into the fluids and would be precipitated at the sulphide/ seawater interface.<br />
He did say however, that no relics or former enrichment zones were found<br />
during drilling. He also said that core recovery was only 12 per cent,<br />
suggesting that a lot of information was lost. With regard to land-based<br />
analogues, Dr. Herzig said that such analogues are not often found. When<br />
found, the sulphides in the upper five metres cover an extensive area and are<br />
able to support a viable mine. He said that the setting that was discovered<br />
could have developed because of either the age of the system or because of<br />
differences in the source rocks.<br />
Dr. Herzig was asked whether “white smokers” produce base and<br />
precious metal sulphides, and if so, at what depth such deposits are to be<br />
found. He was also asked if these deposits would contain the same metals as<br />
found in “black smokers”. Dr. Herzig said that “white smokers” would<br />
indeed generate sulphides deposits but that these would occur at several<br />
dozens of metres depth. Dr. Herzig described the process whereby sulphides<br />
would be deposited in a white smoker system, referring to it as shallow<br />
mixing.<br />
In relation to the statement made in Dr. Herzig’s presentation that the<br />
Ocean Drilling Programme will be drilling the massive sulphides deposit in<br />
the Manus basin (Leg 193), he was asked how this could be done since that<br />
deposit is part of the exploration license covered in the agreement between<br />
Nautilus and the Government of Papua New Guinea. It was pointed out that<br />
normally the approved targets of ODP drilling are scientific and not<br />
INTERNATIONAL SEABED AUTHORITY 329
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