2022 Volume 18 Issue 4 Pages 220-229
Deep-sea mineral resources, such as manganese nodules, seafloor massive sulfides, cobalt-rich manganese crusts, and rare-earth element-rich deep-sea mud have been interested in as potential resources for metals near future. The R&D background and the historical approaches are introduced. In case of manganese nodules, three pilot mining tests at actual sites were taken place in the end of 1970s. At the time, pioneer environmental monitoring works were conducted simultaneously. In the first and second decade of 21st century, seafloor massive sulfide mining was focused as immediate target for commercial mining. Currently all the deep-sea mining is considered to have higher possibilities for commercial mining, though some problems including environmental protection must be solved. Not only many states but also many venture companies are coming into the R&D arena. Japan needs to find out original approaches to realize the domestic deep-sea metal mining.
