India carves a niche in deep sea mining with new technology

NEW DELHI: Exploring minerals, buried deep in the ocean, is one of the most daunting tasks for scientists around the globe. And making a major breakthrough, Indian scientists have taken deep sea mining technologies to a new level, said the union minister for science and technology and ocean development, Kapil Sibal.

The scientists from the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) have, for the first time, developed a world class Remote-Operated Vehicle (ROV), an Underwater Crawler and an In-Situ Soil Property Measurement System (SPMS).

Through these devices, India can now explore greater depths in the ocean and sea-bed as the machines are capable of working in extreme weather conditions and tumultuous seas. They will also assist in rescue operations, taking measurements and samples from the sea bed, repairing instruments and gadgets in the water, and will also help companies involved in offshore drilling.

"This has put India in the coveted list of developed countries involved in deep-sea technology. Through this Indian scientists can also explore non-living resources in the ocean bed," said Sibal.

India is the only country with a mining site in the central Indian Ocean Basin after the International Seabed Authority of the United Nations recently allotted India a site of 1, 50,000 sq km in the Basin for Pollymetallic Nodules exploration.

All other countries have mining sites in the Pacific Ocean. The site also has the latest critical installation of the country, and Indian Navy has made special provisions to ensure its safety, according to military sources.

Pollymetallic Nodules are potato-shaped nodules which are available at depths greater than 4,000 mts in deep sea. These nodules contain manganese (27-30 per cent), copper (1-2 per cent), nickel (1-2 per cent) and Cobalt (0.2-0.3 per cent), apart from traces of other minerals. Copper and nickel are strategically important elements and are not available from terrestrial resources in the Indian sub-continent.

With this technology, India can now collect nodules from the extremely soft and fragile ocean seabed located at the depth of 5,000 meters. "The present machines available in the world go down only upto 3,000 mts," Sibal said.

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_india-carves-a-niche-in-deep-sea-mining-with-new-technology_1070420