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Minerals Report - International Seabed Authority

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potential of this resource has not been properly evaluated. Sub-sea coal<br />

mining could be a possibility but considering Brazil’s enormous land reserves,<br />

offshore coal mining is not foreseen in the near future. The phosphates<br />

content off the Brazilian shore is very low. Brazilian marginal evaporites are<br />

again considered as having only a small potential. As regards polymetallic<br />

nodules in Brazil, there is only one record of such resources on the northeast<br />

coast at a depth of around 2200 metres. Polymetallic sulphides deposits occur<br />

in the meso-oceanic offshore ridge close to the St. Peter and Paul rocks.<br />

He emphasized that the most important marine mineral resource for<br />

Brazil is petroleum and natural gas. He pointed out that Brazil is one of the<br />

leading offshore petroleum and natural gas producers in the world, and that<br />

the Brazilian company, Petrobras, carries out both activities. Dr. Macedo<br />

informed participants that natural gas reserves are found in the Campos Basin<br />

offshore Rio de Janeiro where the Roncador fields have the largest natural gas<br />

reserves in Brazil. Dr. Macedo said that Brazil’s legislative measures<br />

including data and information requirements are contained in the Law of 1997<br />

commonly referred to as the Law of Petroleum. The National Petroleum<br />

Agency (ANP) is the regulatory agency for offshore activities. Several<br />

measures and regulations are set forth in a number of ordinances issued since<br />

the establishment of ANP. These regulations cover a wide range of activities,<br />

the terms and conditions of concessions, and contracts and obligations of the<br />

concessionaires including payment of certain taxes. Offshore mining is a very<br />

recent activity in Brazil. He stated that rules and regulations including those<br />

relating to environmental protection have come into force only recently.<br />

21. The offshore mineral policy of Indonesia<br />

Dr. Hasjim Djalal, Special Adviser to the Minister of Ocean<br />

Exploration and Fisheries of Indonesia provided an overview of the<br />

Indonesian Offshore <strong>Minerals</strong> Policy. Dr. Djalal informed participants that<br />

under the Indonesian Constitution, offshore would cover the archipelagic<br />

waters of Indonesia and the 12 miles of territorial sea around them. In<br />

accordance with Indonesia’s Constitution the geographic area of interest was<br />

from, all resources contained in those waters and their seabed were<br />

appertained to the Republic of Indonesia. Following the 1982 United Nations<br />

Convention on the Law of the Sea, he said that Indonesia has delineated most<br />

INTERNATIONAL SEABED AUTHORITY 63

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