Deep sea mining

Deep sea mining is a growing subfield of experimental seabed mining that involves the retrieval of minerals and deposits from the ocean floor found at depths of 200 meters or greater.

Shallow versus deep sea

As of 2021, the majority of marine mining efforts are limited to shallow coastal waters, where sand, tin and diamonds are more readily accessible.

Types

There are three types of deep sea mining that have generated great interest: polymetallic nodule mining, polymetallic sulphide mining, and the mining of Cobalt-Rich ferromanganese crusts.

Hydrothermal vents

• The majority of proposed deep sea mining sites are near of polymetallic nodules or active and extinct hydrothermal vents at 1,400 to 3,700 metres (4,600 to 12,100 ft) below the ocean's surface.
• The vents create globular or massive sulfide deposits, which contain valuable metals.

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