Les ressources minérales profondes en Polynésie française / Deep-sea mineral resources in French Polynesia
| , , ,II. Recommendations
R2. Instigate programs to generate knowledge and develop suitable technology
Texte intégral
Rationale
1The objective is to produce public information to fill the gaps that had been identified and subsequently detailed by the expert group review (see R1). Exploration campaigns are required before a deep-sea mining policy can be defined or specific exploitation projects developed. Broadly speaking, this means locating areas containing tens of millions of tonnes of crusts for a 20-year mining project producing 4,500 to 10,000 t/year of cobalt (and associated metals: e.g. nickel, manganese, platinum and titanium).
2One priority is an in-depth characterisation of previously identified sites of interest (Kaukura in the western part of the Tuamotus, the Tarava chain and the western part of the EEZ [nodules]), and description of their comparative advantages.
Timeframe
3Implementation of R2 is a very short-term project but also has a long-term dimension.
4In the short term, there should be a targeted campaign to confirm existing data on crusts in the Tuamotu sector (bathymetry, sampling of large quantities of crust, and collection of fauna); this could be planned over one to two years. A robust sample analysis programme would confirm the potential of the resource, its mineability and the potentially mineable area, and would address the spatial distribution of biodiversity. It will have a profound, decisive effect on the direction of future geological and biological exploration and evaluation of the resources. This campaign is a top priority.
5Over the longer term (five years), depending on the results of the foregoing campaign, site studies and resource evaluations may be undertaken for identified targets. Further research efforts could also be conducted for the geological and biological exploration of other regions of the EEZ, mobilising and improving exploration techniques.
Proposed actions
- Implement a campaign to map and, more importantly, systematically sample the crusts in order to obtain a sufficient volume of samples for geotechnical and metallogenic analysis and profiling of the crusts (a dedicated campaign using existing equipment could be set up very quickly).
- For exploration, develop a high-quality drilling and sampling tool (cores, recovery rate and length suited to hard rocks) to measure crust thickness and metal content for laboratory analysis (and/or in-situ measurements). This would be a true technological innovation that will require the design of a complete system that could be installed on a ROV, something that is currently lacking in the deep-sea exploration toolkit.
- Launch a design study for the collection system (fragmentation, grinding and removal) taking into account the techniques developed for massive sulphides and nodules (riser and collection system). Prior to this, good geotechnical profiling of the crusts is necessary, along with the most precise information possible on their geometry (thickness and lateral extension).
Constraints and conditions
6Three important points:
- Time constraints: scheduling the ship-time needed to carry out an oceanographic campaign can take several years.
- Necessary condition: form a project team led by a research organisation.
- Funding: the first campaign should logically take place within a public service framework (such as Extraplac or Zepolyf).
7Government bodies and research institutions will need to play an active role. Overall, this would be a multi-year programme of exploration campaigns in the French Polynesian EEZ. It could be created as part of a “national strategy on deep-sea resources” in accordance with the measures announced by the Interdepartmental Committee of the Sea (CIMER) on 22 October 2015 on the topic of “medium-to long-term planning for deep seabed mining”. Opportunities for co-operation may be sought very early on within a European framework or via partnerships with the private sector (industry) and foreign organisations, including in the regional context with other islands that are very active in this field or with Japan.
Connections with other recommendations
8R2 assumes that R1 has been completed so that the new data can be incorporated into the information system. The outcomes of R2 are a prerequisite for the definition of a deep-sea mining policy, whose technological research and development component is described in R5.
Reference to full contributions
9I-2, III-1 to III-4
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