Page 38: of Offshore Engineer Magazine (Mar/Apr 2024)

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FEATURE SEABED MINING

During its 2022 pilot collection system trials, TMC subsidiary NORI uplifted 3,000 tonnes of nodules from depths of four kilometers and transferred them to the hold of the Hidden Gem.

Images courtesy of TMC says Dr Greg Stone, Chief Ocean Scientist. least impact, nodule collection system that utilizes me-

Research conducted by Nauru Ocean Resources, a sub- chanical and hydraulic technology. sidiary of The Metals Company, found that organisms The company’s SMD Q-Collector range is available in a continue to be present and alive 12 months after having variety of sizes to suit vessel and client requirements. Engi- been infuenced by a seafoor plume from its pilot collec- neered to have a low submerged weight, these vehicles are tion system test. made with light plastic tracks and buoyant syntactic foam.

The Metals Company recently signed a binding MoU The collection vehicle uses sonar to identify the position with Pacifc Metals Corporation of Japan for a feasibility of the nodules and has attained collection effciency rates study on processing 1.3 million tonnes of wet nodules per of at least 97% in recent university trials.

year, and the company is also exploring opportunities for Ian Maskell, principal engineer, says: “The eyes of the the construction of a U.S. refnery - the Pentagon is ex- world will be on these projects, and this will be the most pected to deliver an action plan on nodules by March 2024. regulated industry in the world.” However, commercial

UK-based Soil Machine Dynamics (SMD) designed, success depends on many factors, not least a predictable developed and delivered the mining machinery planned OPEX. Over the past four years, SMD has worked with for the Solwara 1 Seafoor Massive Sulphides project some Oil States Industries to calculate cost per tonne fgures for 15 years ago, and it is now developing a patent pending, prospective customers. 38 OFFSHORE ENGINEER OEDIGITAL.COM