Seabed Minerals

The potato fields of the deep sea

They are known as polymetallic nodules, manganese nodules or simply manganese tubers. The names give you an idea of the shape and metal content. Manganese modules were first found during…

The state of the art in SMS exploration

Marine scientific research on hydrothermal systems has been ongoing for more than 40 years, starting immediately after their discovery near the Galapagos Islands in 1977. However, exploration of Seabed Massive…

A boost for deep sea research

“Marine mineral resources have been proven in the Norwegian Sea, including metals that may be important for electrification, and which several industrial players are working to extract,” says Rolf Birger…

A promising new frontier

An enormous challenge in terms of research, expertise information, technological innovation, environmental protection, spatial planning and social licence to operate is facing the European and international research and sustainable development…

A needle in a haystack

“How to find and remove a needle from a haystack without disturbing it?” That’s the key question when it comes to sustainable exploration for deep-sea minerals. It requires non-invasive methods…

Timely and crucial

A three year, 18 million NOK funded research project will build important in-demand competence regarding the environmental aspects of deep sea mining on the Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge.

A two-year deadline

The prospect of the first large scale deep see mining project has this year come a lot closer when a deal was announced between a small Pacific island of Nauru…