Scientists from the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) have embarked on a month-long research expedition from Costa Rica to the Central Pacific to understand the impacts of deep-sea extraction of polymetallic nodules on the seabed. These are hard rock like materials, highly enriched in metals found on the sea floor.

The Metals Company, an explorer of the world’s largest estimated undeveloped source of critical battery metals, announced that its subsidiary NORI and offshore partner Allseas have successfully concluded the first integrated system test in the Clarion Clipperton Zone of the Pacific Ocean since the 1970s, achieving all significant pilot milestones while collecting approximately 4,500 tonnes of seafloor polymetallic nodules. Over 3,000 tonnes were transported up a 4.3km-long riser system to the surface production vessel, Hidden Gem, while the additional 1,500 tonnes of nodules were purposely left behind on the seafloor as part of the trials.

Leading underwater technology developer SMD has announced the development of a new Nodule Collection solution. The QC2000 Nodule Collector concept has been developed by SMD to maximise productivity and minimise impact to the seabed and the surrounding environment. This has been achieved by using SMD’s 50 years of experience in how to cut, move and collect soils, combined with deep water systems expertise. These insights and know-how have been developed and proven over many years in the Minerals, Telecoms, Power Cable and Deep Water intervention markets.

As the world reduces its reliance on fossil fuels, the surge in new green energy sources has begun. Renewable energy projects are expanding at a pace, accounting for 26% of world electricity today, and reaching 30% by 2024 (source: IEA).

Allseas has awarded subsea technology company Seatools the contract for the delivery of the complete electrical, hydraulic, and control system for Allseas’ deep-sea mining nodule collector. The project is part of Allseas’ development program to realize advanced deep-water equipment for the gathering of polymetallic nodules from the ocean floor in a responsible way.

Allseas has acquired the former 228 meters long ultra-deepwater drillship Vitoria 10000 for conversion to a polymetallic nodule collection vessel.

A new study shows that the impacts of seabed mining on deep-sea ecosystems can persist for decades. Scientists at the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) revisited a site exposed to simulated deep-sea mining activity nearly 30 years previously to assess seabed and ecosystem recovery. They used a robot submarine to map and photograph much of the seafloor in the disturbed area in unprecedented detail. The images were combined into a seafloor photo-mosaic completely covering 11 hectares of seabed, the largest ever photo-mosaic obtained in the abyssal ocean. Tracks on the seafloor caused by the simulated mining were still clearly visible, and the impacts on marine life initially observed in 1989 persist.

Mineral deposits, in the form of potato-sized nodules, which cover wide areas of the world’s sea floor, are extremely important in structuring communities of deep-sea animals according to research published this week by scientists at the National Oceanography Centre (NOC).

Join us at the 9th Annual Deep Sea Mining Summit 2019 in London, UK on 29-30 April.

A new project has been announced to reduce the potential environmental impact of future mining by making exploration for deep-seafloor mineral deposits much more effective. ‘Project ULTRA’ has been funded by the Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC), and will be led by Professor Bramley Murton at the National Oceanography Centre (NOC).

Nautilus Minerals Inc. announces that it has successfully completed the first trial of its newly developed autonomous sediment sampler. The insect-inspired creation is dubbed the “Nautilus Jumping Spider” and resembling its animal namesake, it sports a number of “tubular” legs. On landing on the seafloor, a mechanical trigger starts both the suction system that delivers sediment up the tubular legs and into the sample housing. Following the release of a biodegradable sacrificial ballast weight, a deep-sea float lifts the sampler back to surface for later collection.

In a bid to harness opportunities in the wave and tidal market, The National Subsea Research Initiative (NSRI) is hosting a MasterminingTM workshop in Aberdeen on Wednesday 16 May for subsea supply chain companies.

Ocean Floor Geophysics Inc. (OFG), in cooperation with Fukada Salvage and Marine Works Co. Ltd. (Fukada), has completed a third high resolution Controlled Source Electromagnetic (CSEM) survey of near surface gas hydrates using the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (Scripps) Vulcan system for the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Japanese waters.

Fugro is commencing its first project supporting deep sea polymetallic nodule mining under a contract awarded by seafloor mineral exploration company Nauru Ocean Resources Inc. (NORI), a subsidiary of DeepGreen Metals Inc.

Specialist cable manufacturer Novacavi has recently engineered, manufactured and supplied tough and size contained custom cables in support of the Danish Defence subsea demining program. Tasked by the Danish Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation, Novacavi technical project team developed an high technology underwater hybrid cable that allows ROVs to enhance and extend operational capabilities in Baltic Sea water.

UK-based subsea engineering specialist Soil Machine Dynamics Ltd (SMD) has successfully completed first stage testing in a pioneering project which is set to uncover valuable European mineral resources. SMD is technical lead on the VAMOS (viable alternative mine operating system) project, a 42-month international research and development venture, which is part-funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. At a cost of approximately 12.6 million Euros, SMD and its partners in the VAMOS Consortium, have designed and built a robotic underwater mining prototype with launch and recovery technology to perform field tests at four EU mining sites.

ECA Group announces today that a new 5 years contract was awarded by French Ministry of Armed Forces for supplying consumables for French navy PAP demining ROVs (Remotely Operated Vehicles). The amount of this contract will be over 4M€ up to a maximum of 8 M€ depending on utilization frequency. In 1977, ECA Group delivered the very first mine disposal vehicles PAP to the French Navy. In 2017, forty years later, they are still in service with support from ECA Group.

Soil Machine Dynamics (SMD) and Underwater Mining Solutions (UMS) are teaming up to offer customers the full scope of mining equipment required for underwater mining projects, both offshore and inland, and in all territories. Their combined expertise, and the strength of each of their parent companies, enable SMD and UMS to provide customers with proven, de-risked solutions to deep-sea, near-shore and inland underwater exploration, mining and processing.