Minerals Report - International Seabed Authority

players. Some see the minerals as the place to be and others see the
technology and know-how as the key.
So what are these attractive areas of technology? Exploration
technology including the Rapid Exploration System we have drafted will create
a lot of value by surveying large areas, finding new plumes and locating the
SMS deposits. The design of the mining machine that can break, load, crush
and lift the sulphides by pumping them up a riser will be the most critical
factor in making SMS lower cost than terrestrial mining. The largest item is
the topside production plant such as the Floating Production Storage Offtake
(FPSO), the pre shuttling craft and the refinery (if any). Here ships-ofopportunity
and existing systems will be modified and combined.
For the people with knowledge of the state of marine technology, the
development of these technologies is simply an extension of what is already
being done in the deep-sea environment by the oil & gas, military and
communications sectors. To them, marine mining is not only possible but is a
logical extension of land-based mining. Clearly marine technologists and
engineering groups will be much more inclined to invest than say a major
mining house that knows nothing about the sea. This has certainly been our
experience and flags for you the direction we are taking.
The possibility of developing a SMS mining system is highly attractive
to the marine engineer because it offers a clear road to lucrative mining
contracts and early returns.
Despite the fact that manganese nodules were effectively mined from
the abyssal plans of the East Pacific rise in nearly 5km of water nearly 20 years
ago, the media, the public and investors generally remains quire unaware of
the state of marine technology.
The question ‘Will it be possible to mine SMS deposits?’ is frequently
asked. Nautilus puts a lot of effect into communicating well-illustrated
answers to these groups.
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