International Seabed Authority and Ministry of Earth Sciences exchange Polymetallic Nodules exploration extension contract

The International Seabed Authority with headquarters in Jamaica has officially designated India as a “Pioneer Investor”.

Key points

  • International Seabed Authority (ISA) and Ministry of Earth Sciences also exchanged PMN (Polymetallic Nodules) exploration extension contract.
  • This contract was initially signed on 25th March 2002 for a period of 15 years, which later was extended by the authority twice for 5 years period, during 2017 and 2022.
  • Ministry of Earth Sciences has been conducting PMN exploration program covering components like Survey & Exploration, Environmental Impact Assessment, Technology Development (Mining), and Technology Development (Extractive Metallurgy) through its nodal institute National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) and other associated national institutes like National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (IMMT).
  • The ultimate objective of the program is to complete preparatory work to demonstrate the pilot mining at Test Mining Site (TMS).
  • The various activities under this programme are under implementation and significant progress has been made towards the preparatory work, which has been communicated to the ISA time to time through submission of annual reports.
  • Ministry of Earth Sciences through contractual agreements with the International Seabed Authority (ISA), is carrying out exploration activities for Poly-metallic Nodules (PMN) in the Central Indian Ocean Basin and for Poly-metallic Sulphides (PMS) in parts of Central and South-West Indian ridges.
  • Preliminary estimates indicate 380 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) of Polymetallic Nodules comprising Copper, Nickel, Cobalt and Manganese are available within an allocated area of 75000 sq. km for exploration of PMN in Central Indian Ocean Basin.
  • The estimated value of these metals is about 110 billion US$. The polymetallic sulphides are expected to contain rare earth minerals including gold and silver.
  • The United States of America, France, Japan, Russia and China are the major countries to have similar technologies.

International Seabed Authority (ISA)

  • The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is an autonomous international organization established under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 1994 Agreement relating to the Implementation of Part XI of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1994 Agreement).
  • The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is comprised of 167 Member States, and the European Union. All Parties to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) are members of ISA.
  • ISA is mandated as the organization through which Parties to UNCLOS shall organize and control all mineral-related activities in the international seabed area, known also as “the Area.”
  • The international seabed area – the part which is under ISA jurisdiction – is the seabed and ocean floor and the subsoil thereof, beyond the limits of national jurisdiction. The international seabed area represents around 50 per cent of the total area of the world’s oceans.

Polymetallic nodules

  • Polymetallic nodules, also called manganese nodules, are rock concretions formed of concentric layers of iron and manganese hydroxides around a core.
  • Polymetallic nodules primarily consist of precipitated iron oxyhydroxides and manganese oxides, onto which metals such as nickel, cobalt, copper, titanium and rare earth elements sorb.

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