Current Operation Cases
The ISA cleared the mining of over 7.2 million pounds of polymetallic nodules in what has been considered a test operation. The CCZ region is the most abundant seabed area filled with polymetallic nodules. These nodules are not only found there but also through the Pacific and Indian Oceans. The CCZ region is a driving force behind the sea-bed mining industry developing more specialized underwater mining technology. The CCZ is outside of national jurisdiction therefore falls under ISA responsibilities. ISA has issued 31 exploration contracts to collect data on sites before the deep sea-bed mining can operate. There are currently only 16 contractors approved to work in the area once ISA 2023 guidelines are in place. The ISA had nine current Areas of Particular Environmental Interest (APEIs) to protect the biodiversity and habitats in the area.
The ISA has been developing the Mining Code since 2014, however due to Covid 19 the plans got pushed to 2023 because of the “2-year rule”. If the ISA fails to complete the Mining Code the deep sea-bed mining operation can be approved without formal guidelines in place and a lack of knowledge regarding the operation's environmental long-term consequences. Requests for commercial operation are specifically being made in the Pacific's Clarion-Clipperton Zone(CCZ) between Hawaii and California. The US cannot apply for a permit under the ISA because they refused to ratify the treaty of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Technological Development
Future technological advancements regarding sea-bed mining are still in development under private companies. Developers are focused on enhancing the technologies locating polymetallic nodules and extracting ability while causing minimal damage to the ecosystem. The less damages the technology causes, the more likely the process is to be approved for large scale operations. Some private companies are beginning to use remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to locate and collect samples to be analyzed. Another emerging technique is using a vacuum to dredge large areas of the seabed and then bring in hydraulic pumps and a hose system to force the nodules to travel up to the vessel collection tank [11]. Current test trials have confirmed this process can be used for operations at a maximum of 21,000 ft or approximately 4 miles. This process would increase the quantity collected but disrupt the marine ecosystems and cause unknown consequences.
Operational Companies
The companies that have been approved have done representative sampling and research in their desire mining areas. This is in hopes of being able to mine for profit once the ISA has published their guidelines.
NAITILUS
In 2011 a Canadian based company, Nautilus was the first company approved for deep-sea mining rights. Their approval came directly from the government of Papua New Guinea; however, the company had only done exploration work because of the technical difficulties. The license is approved for the next 20 years and has a lot of economic perspectives. The annual global production of rare earth metals is approximately 100,000tons, however the CCZ has been surveyed to contain 15 million tons.
JOGMEC
In 2017 a Japanese state-owned sea-bed mining company, Japan Oil, Gas, and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC) extracted zinc off the coast of Okinawa. Conducting the world's first successful excavation of cobalt-rich seabed in the deep ocean in 2020. Deep sea-bed mining operations have been referred to as ‘blue growth’, ‘resource frontier’ and ‘resource security’ practices.
NORI
The Nauru Ocean Resources are a subsidiary of The Metal Company based in Canada. The company established a goal to extract 1.3 million metric tons of polymetallic nodes from the CCZ by 2024. The company has been tasked with testing new generation of mining equipment and lead in future collection and operations. They will be reviewing all collected data and sharing it with ISA to help the organization better understand the impact of deep seabed mining.
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GSR
Global Sea Mineral Resources is a branch of a Belgium based company, DEME Group. The goal of the GSR is to focus on the company's deep seabed mining dredging and research. DEME Group is the overview providing dredging, offshore, and infa practices. They used dredging in the past for recreational areas, industrial areas, roads, new ports, airports, artificial islands, and bridges in the past.
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UK Seabed Resources
Initially the parent company was Lockheed Martin, however March 2023 it was bought out by Norway Loke. The company is planning to start operation by 2030 investing in over 100 million dollars surveying the area of interest, environmental mapping, and developing the next generation of mining technology. |
Ocean Mineral Singapore
Ocean Mineral Singapore was the first company approved for deep sea mining exploration studies focusing on copper and rare earth minerals under the ISA. Singapore is acting as the sponsor state for the company. They have completed two expeditions in 2015 and 2020 studying the CCZ. Their work collected data on the geological, biological, and oceanographic information in that area.
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Other entities
International Sea Authority (ISA)
Ocean Under the UNCLOS and 1994 agreement ISA is working to develop guidelines for the international exploitation of resources from the oceans. The organization is made of an assembly, enterprise, secretariat, legal/technical commission and council. They facilitate international cooperation and diplomacy of sea resources and offer opportunities for research across the globe.
Dr. Sylvia Earle
Researchers have struggled to collect data pertaining to the deep-sea ecosystems and therefore will not know all of the consequences that seabed mining causes. This is largely due to it being very expensive to get equipment and have the properly certified research on the projects. Dr. Sylvia Earle is one such researcher that has over 7,000 hours diving and researching in underwater laboratories. Dr. Earle has warned the community of the dangers that can come from seabed mining and is actively fighting against the approval of operations. Current technology is too invasive by Dr. Earle’s standards, and therefore seabed mining must be continued with caution.
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Deep Sea Conservation Coalition (DSCC)
Groups are international fighting against the progression of deep seabed mining. The Deep-Sea Conservation Coalition is focused on attending ISA meetings to voice their concerns of the consequences of deep sea-bed mining. They push for a moratorium in the political environment to allow more time for researchers to examine the areas of interest. This coalition collects research on operations and tracks the contracts approved by ISA. The DSCC is made up of over 100 non-governmental organizations, fisher organizations and law and policy institutions. More reputable members include the WWF, Fauna & Flora International, Blue Marine Foundation, Conservation International, and Deep Sea Mining Campaign.
Group 77
Undeveloped countries are struggling to retrieve sea-bed mining resources off their coast due to lack of technology. This has encouraged developed countries to go after these resources with little consequences. Group 77 has proposed developing countries that take part in this practice to provide royalties paid to the authority. This allows underdeveloped countries to receive a portion of the profit.