The revival of an old passion

IHC Merwede moves into Deep Sea Mining

• History
• A treasure-trove of minerals
• IHC Deep Sea Dredging & Mining (DSDM)
• Technological R&D
• Business development and perspective

History
The awareness that the deep sea can provide mankind with a wealth of minerals dawned in 1868 with the discovery of polymetallic nodules in the Kara Sea. In 1872-76, the HMS CHALLENGER, a British naval corvette crammed with officers, crew and scientists, set out on a scientific expedition. It discovered that vast areas of the sea floor were littered with these nodules at high concentrations on vast plains at depths of over 4,000 metres. In 1981, they were thought to total 500 billion tons, with economically viable concentrations in the Pacific and the Indian Ocean and the most promising deposits between Hawaii and Central America. The nodules contain significant concentrations of, for example, manganese, copper, cobalt, iron, silicon and aluminium.

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