Minerals Report - International Seabed Authority

The search for a mineral deposit is driven by considerations on
suitable characteristics for mining and processing. Its morphology must
comply with known mining technology. The ore mineralogy and metal
content must allow sufficient recovery using available treatment processes
and must ensure sufficient revenue according to the prospect for metal prices.
Obviously, the selection of a mining method is determined by the
geometry of the deposit and the characteristics of its location, and upon
environmental protection requirements. The choice of a technology for ore
processing and metallurgical treatment is dependent on the kind of minerals,
their sizes, and their metal contents. The presence of mineralogical or
chemical components that could have a negative effect on the recovery of the
valuable metals must also be carefully investigated. Environmental
protection requires extensive preliminary impact studies that must be
organized during exploration of the deposit and depends on its nature and
location.
It is an adage to say that a mineral deposit becomes an ore deposit
only when its exploitation can be envisaged with profit, according to the
available technology and present economic circumstances. To meet these
requirements, exploration must have acquired adequate information and data
to estimate the reserves of the deposit [3-4] (Table 1).
Table 1: Reserve and resource classification for marine mineral deposits
Suitable Mine ability
Study of feasibility Has been demonstrated Not yet demonstrated
Economic Proven reserves Measured resource
Marginal Provable reserves Indicated resource
Sub-economic Sub-economic resource Inferred resource
Reprinted from Garnett, 1998
The present level of knowledge of deep-sea mineral deposits is
generally considered as insufficient to define reserves. One must use the term
resource exclusively, referring to a certain volume of material that could be of
economic interest.
INTERNATIONAL SEABED AUTHORITY 425