Minerals Report - International Seabed Authority

crusts have also been found in areas in the western Atlantic and the
Caribbean.
The chemical composition of the crusts is similar to that of manganese
nodules, with the exception of the cobalt content, which is three to five times
greater than that of the manganese nodules. Table 3 lists the metal contents
and thickness of cobalt-rich crusts discovered in the Pacific area and Table 4
lists the estimated tonnage of some of these occurrences.
Table 3: Metal contents and thickness of cobalt-rich crusts*
Country
[EEZ]
Co
[%]
Ni
[%]
Cu
[%]
Thickness
[mm]
FSM
Kiribati
0.42 0.33 0.06
• Gilbert Islands 0.69 0.58 0.10 12.4
• Phoenix Islands
• Line Islands
0.78
0.62
0.66
0.60
0.11
0.12
17.0
19.5
Marshall Islands 0.71 0.56 0.09 27.7
Samoa 0.41 0.23 0.08 3.4
Tuvalu 0.78 0.50 0.09 19.5
* Data derived from analytical work carried out on samples taken from
seamounts during Japan/SOPAC Deep-sea Mineral Resources Programme
research cruises.
Table 4: Resource assessment of cobalt-rich crusts in the western Pacific region
Country
[EEZ]
Cobalt
[10 6 t]
Nickel
[10 6 t]
Manganese
[10 6 t]
Platinum
[10 6 oz]
FSM 17.76 9.96 496.0 34.7
Guam 0.55 0.31 15.5 0.68
Marshall
Islands
10.55 2.49 281.3 21.5
Samoa 0.03 0.01 0.8 0.04
INTERNATIONAL SEABED AUTHORITY 892