The future of ocean mining… involves an industry getting ready to take the plunge. The history of deep-sea mining is one of delayed promises. That may be about to end. The exploitation of the deep ocean mineral resources has been anticipated since the Challenger expedition of 1873-4 documented the existence of extensive deposits of manganese nodules on the floor of the deep ocean.  Since then, valuable resources of manganese, nickel, copper, gold and zinc, rare earths, diamonds and phosphates have been found and mapped. Exploration to define and increase these resources continues. Concurrently, the technology to mine deposits is being developed and tested.

Exploration methods are becoming more efficient, increasingly using robotics and automation. Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) and Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) are used routinely, fleets of Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs) are being built, and robotic seafloor drills are used to test the grade and tonnage of submarine deposits. These systems are being deployed at an increasingly rapid rate.  Their defining character is that they require smaller ships and smaller numbers of people at sea than older methods, and they are scalable robotic technologies enabling small operations to compete efficiently with large ones. This is in stark contrast to the economics of mining on land where very large capital investments are required, and with the economics of offshore oil and gas where investments are huge.  

The drivers for mining at sea are both economic, as seafloor mines have the potential to be profitable, and strategic, as the uninterrupted supply of rare earths, nickel and manganese are critical to the electrification of world economies moving to new green energy infrastructure.  However, seabed mining is not without environmental impact. Seafloor ecosystems are rich, fragile and poorly understood. Understanding and protecting them to ensure resources are exploited responsibly is critical. These competing forces, and the availability of capital willing to invest in a totally new industry will determine when, and how rapidly seafloor mines will be built. It is almost certain that in the near future, new seafloor mines will be commissioned. The question is where, and by whom. Will these be national authorities backing mining for strategic purposes, or private mining companies taking advantage of the opportunities being created today?