Deep Sea mining
by Robert Hehnlin
12/1/2001

Introduction-

    IN DAYS GONE BY, prospectors rolled up their trousers and waded into a stream with a gold pan and a pick with the hopes to find mineral deposits rich enough to make a living. Now, modern miners are pursuing vast mineral deposits scattered across the bottom of the ocean floor.
    The treasure troves spring from massive, underwater volcanoes called black smokers. Thousands of meters under the sea, fluid reaching 420 degrees Celsius is forced by tectonic activity through cracks in the ocean floor. As it explodes into cold seawater, the thick black soup begins to cool. And as that happens, the metals it carried from the earth's crust--particles of gold, silver, copper and zinc--precipitate. Falling toward the sea bed, the particles give the appearance of billowing black smoke. Layer upon layer of particles build into deposits of intricate shapes that can grow to 40 meters in height.
    The resulting formations have ore grades higher than in typical terrestrial mines, and may be the cheapest source of minerals yet. These grades are extremely high on any measure. The deposits would be worth "well over 10 times" those of average terrestrial mines.

Potential-
    The shear size of the deposits that scientists and geologist have studied indicates they have the potential to be as big as existing mid-size terrestrial mines. These sights with the probable values in the billions of dollars are scattered on the ocean floor from Australia to Japan. One of the biggest know deposits is off Japan’s southern coast called the Sunrise deposit. It’s total mass of mineral rich rock is estimated at 9 million tons with a projected value of about $600 a ton.

Probability of mining-
    Mining these deposits with small unmanned subs like the Jason sub, which would only be able to lob off the chimney-like formations, are likely to take place within five years. But to see a significant mining industry, we are probably looking at 20 years. The time lag, however, is less significant when comparing with similar terrestrial discoveries, which will probably take 10 years before the capital is together, the approvals are set, and the mine is built. To this date there are only two techniques to mine the deposits under the ocean. One being a large ocean worthy ship at the surface of the water with an extension reaching to the depths where a extacting tool would located. The second being a completely self-sufficient manned or unmanned submairine that would mine and redeposit the materials under the ocean.
 

 

Mining with large ocean ships

Mining with deep-sea submarines

link to physics law

Enviromental concerns

Biblography