Minerals Report - International Seabed Authority
Minerals Report - International Seabed Authority Minerals Report - International Seabed Authority
4. The mineral resource management cycle Based on experience gained during 10 years of large-scale deepwater mining operations, De Beers Marine continuously reviews and develops its approach to holistic mineral resource management, which spans the spectrum of requirements from conceptual exploration to postmining depletion and reconciliation (Figure 7). Exploration Model Ore Dressing Model Mineral isation Model Mineability Model Environmental Management System Conceptual Exploration Model GEOLOGICAL OREBODY MODEL Estimation Model Risk Model Mine Planning Model DEPLETION & RECONCILIATION Figure 7. The Mineral Resource Management Cycle. In terms of the mineral resource management cycle, estimation of west coast placer deposits has proved to be complex due to the size and continuity displayed by the discrete trap sites. The importance placed upon accurate mineral resource evaluation has driven geostatistical research since the early 1970’s, and it continues to receive significant INTERNATIONAL SEABED AUTHORITY 582
attention. In-house specialists in collaboration with Fonteinbleu School of Mines have developed many new techniques. The application of linear programming to mine planning, which also becomes complex due to the multiplicity of variables is also an area of active research. Both optimisation of depletion strategy and mine planning are fundamental to ensuring profitability, and their effectiveness depend heavily upon the accuracy of estimation. 5. The significance of the geological model and research and development aimed at improving model resolution The power of the geological model in mitigating technical and financial risk was identified early in the development of the offshore diamond mining industry. Consequently, seafloor mapping has been a focus of activity from the outset both in terms of developing technology and interpretative expertise of people to specifically support the development of the offshore diamond minerals industry. In 1964, De Beers contracted Ocean Science and Engineering to undertake a comprehensive evaluation of the shallow-water prospective ness between the Olifants River and Meob Bay. This was the first seismic and sampling programme of its kind to be undertaken and based on the results; De Beers exercised its option to become a majority shareholder in Marine Diamond Corporation (MDC) in 1965. Anglo American’s Oceanographic Research Unit (ORU) founded in 1965 immediately began a programme of applied diver-based research to map the nearshore marine deposits in detail. This programme did much to develop the expertise of the team involved through direct observation. Subsequently however, the need to map areas more rapidly to support mining operations lead to visual observation being superseded by the application of sidescan sonar (the first applied marine geophysics to support offshore diamond exploration and mining) and later seismic. There has been a continuous improvement in technologies employed in seafloor mapping since the mid-1960s when the third sidescan sonar unit produced by Klein was introduced to map shallowwater deposits. De Beers Marine and the Institute of Maritime Technology in Simonstown developed the first Chirp seismic acquisition system in 1990 for use in high-resolution seafloor mapping to support offshore diamond mining to replace the previous use of Sparker technology. This system consistently delivers 10 to 15 cm vertical resolution and is INTERNATIONAL SEABED AUTHORITY 583
- Page 540 and 541: Figure 6: Interpretative plot of hy
- Page 542 and 543: floor have indicated the presence o
- Page 544 and 545: of free gas below the BSR is usuall
- Page 546 and 547: sediment and to provide an indicati
- Page 548 and 549: 6. Harvesting methane hydrates -Som
- Page 550 and 551: deposits can be commercial, even in
- Page 552 and 553: at a catastrophic scale. Some of th
- Page 554 and 555: Figure 8. Development of hydrate re
- Page 556 and 557: This is perhaps due to the percepti
- Page 558 and 559: would provide Japan with methane fo
- Page 560 and 561: NOTES AND REFERENCES 1. E.D. Sloan
- Page 562 and 563: 20. R.F. Meyer (1981), Speculation
- Page 564 and 565: Master Workshop on Gas Hydrates: Re
- Page 566 and 567: 60. M.D. Max and M.J. Cruickshank (
- Page 568 and 569: is that their exploitation might re
- Page 570 and 571: further pointed out that even if on
- Page 572 and 573: Dr. Desa also informed participants
- Page 574 and 575: thickness of the sediments, the thi
- Page 576 and 577: pressure at sea level leads to hydr
- Page 578 and 579: aware of any studies of natural ear
- Page 580 and 581: CHAPTER 15 A CASE STUDY IN THE DEVE
- Page 582 and 583: NAMIBIA L W OR CT BOTSWANA SOUTH AF
- Page 584 and 585: The Orange River, one of Africa’s
- Page 586 and 587: formation of a large accretion coar
- Page 588 and 589: The deep-water ore body more closel
- Page 592 and 593: deployed on a MacArtney FOCUS 400 R
- Page 594 and 595: Utilising Jago has made very detail
- Page 596 and 597: Although at first glance the nature
- Page 598 and 599: to levels capable of sustaining sea
- Page 600 and 601: In accordance with De Beers’ over
- Page 602 and 603: ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I thank my many co
- Page 604 and 605: 16. I.B. Corbett (1989), The sedime
- Page 606 and 607: SUMMARY OF PRESENTATION AND DISCUSS
- Page 608 and 609: eroded during regression and transg
- Page 610 and 611: diamond mining business. Dr. Corbet
- Page 612 and 613: technological step, Dr. Corbett sug
- Page 614 and 615: and Ore Reserves (JORC). He also sa
- Page 616 and 617: With another slide, Dr. Corbett sho
- Page 618 and 619: of De Beers’ deepwater operation
- Page 620 and 621: system that allows other functions
- Page 622 and 623: CHAPTER 16 A CASE STUDY IN THE DEVE
- Page 624 and 625: change through heat transport and c
- Page 626 and 627: Main sites of oxygen minimum Flow o
- Page 628 and 629: • Undertake necessary mitigatory
- Page 630 and 631: State, by such spilling or pollutio
- Page 632 and 633: including diamonds, from non-fluore
- Page 634 and 635: agreements require that government
- Page 636 and 637: including current velocities, oxyge
- Page 638 and 639: ackground levels and confined to a
4. The mineral resource management cycle<br />
Based on experience gained during 10 years of large-scale deepwater<br />
mining operations, De Beers Marine continuously reviews and<br />
develops its approach to holistic mineral resource management, which<br />
spans the spectrum of requirements from conceptual exploration to postmining<br />
depletion and reconciliation (Figure 7).<br />
Exploration Model<br />
Ore Dressing Model Mineral isation Model Mineability Model<br />
Environmental<br />
Management<br />
System<br />
Conceptual Exploration<br />
Model<br />
GEOLOGICAL OREBODY MODEL<br />
Estimation Model<br />
Risk Model<br />
Mine Planning Model<br />
DEPLETION & RECONCILIATION<br />
Figure 7. The Mineral Resource Management Cycle.<br />
In terms of the mineral resource management cycle, estimation of<br />
west coast placer deposits has proved to be complex due to the size and<br />
continuity displayed by the discrete trap sites. The importance placed<br />
upon accurate mineral resource evaluation has driven geostatistical<br />
research since the early 1970’s, and it continues to receive significant<br />
INTERNATIONAL SEABED AUTHORITY 582
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