Minerals Report - International Seabed Authority

SOPAC’s continuing and relentless promotion for MSR in the region,
over the last three decades, has been rewarded with widespread regional MSR
activity, resultant discoveries of numerous deposits of deep-sea mineral
resources from these, and the acquisition of significant amounts of invaluable
data. These discoveries have been instrumental in stimulating interest from
industry, which has already resulted in the granting of two deep-sea mineral
exploration licenses in the SOPAC region.
SOPAC maintains a certain optimism that with the work that it has
been completed in the region to date, as well as the development of a sound
licensing and tenement regime, any initial developments of deep-sea mineral
resources are likely to occur in the Pacific.
6. Research and Exploration Issues Impacting the SOPAC Region
It is widely acknowledged that, to date, all discoveries of potentially
economic deepsea mineral deposits in the region have been a result of marine
scientific research. Strong relationships have been developed and fostered
between international research organisations and SOPAC, and volumes of
invaluable data and information have been collected, analysed and
disseminated. Encouraging results from these research campaigns have
resulted in ongoing research activity in the region, as well as the
commencement of commercial exploration.
Emerging issues facing SOPAC as the region moves toward
accommodating commercial exploration of its marine mineral resources,
include:
i. Attempting to answer the perplexing question of when marine
scientific research ends and prospecting begins, as well as
distinguishing between prospecting and exploration.
ii. Clarifying the roles and relationships between research and
Government, industry and research and, industry and
Government and ensuring that these are articulated in sound
offshore mineral policy.
INTERNATIONAL SEABED AUTHORITY 902