Unique Marine Mineral Expedition
The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate reports a unique and successful marine mineral exploration expedition.
This is the third time the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has conducted its own deep sea operations aimed at mapping the potential for seabed minerals.
The NPD has also participated in a number of marine mineral mapping expeditions in cooperation with the University of Bergen in recent years.
While previous expeditions have been focusing on large area mappings using Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV), this year’s focus was getting drill cores.
Pioneering Operations
The drilling operations were conducted with coiled tubing, which is a continuous drill string coiled on a reel, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate reports:
– This is a true pioneer expedition, says exploration director Torgeir Stordal in the NPD. – This is the first time coiled tubing technology has been used in such deep waters, and the first time such drilling technology is used for exploration of seabed minerals.
The Island Valiant was the vessel used by the NPD during the five-week expedition on the Mohn Ridge in the northwestern Norwegian Sea.
On the expedition, operator TIOS conducted drilling operations in 3000 meters water depths to secure samples of mineral deposits in the deep sea. In addition to TIOS; Island Offshore, Halliburton and Oceaneering have been instrumental in implementing the project.
– The results will become an important part of the basis for a seabed mineral resource assessment, which is the assignment the NPD has been given by the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, says NPD Director General Ingrid Sølvberg.
Read full article at Norwegian Petroleum Directorate
Marine Minerals
GCE Ocean Technology has taken an active role in the investigation of the possibility to establishing a new industry within marine minerals.
The cluster hosted the world's largest conference on marine minerals in 2018 (UMC), and were part of the subsequent establishment of the Norwegian Forum for Marine Minerals (NMM), where we sit on the board.
Read our chronicle in E24 - Marine minerals - gold or gravel? (in Norwegian).
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