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Estimation of resourcesundiscovered resources and deposit scale 3D modelling
Assoc. Prof. Steinar Ellefmo
PhD candidate Cyril Juliani
NTNU, Department of Geoscience and Petroleum
Norway - Japan Joint Meeting on Ocean Resource Exploration
Kobe, Japan, May 28, 2018
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What about Norway?
Some SMS discovered
Vast seafloor unexplored
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Outline
• Tonnage- and grade distributions of undiscovered marine mineral resources on the Extended Norwegian Continental Shelf
• Implicit 3D deposit model• Conceptual models to assess mining systems and mine planning
• Linked to “reserve”
• Focus on seafloor massive sulfides (SMS)
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Mohns Ridge
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Resources and reservesGeology(ore geology, exploration,
characterization, evaluation)
Technology(mining, processing, ore
transportation, energy)
Accessibility(environmental, legal and social)
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The (simplified) “mining value
chain”:
1. Ore formation
2. Exploration
3. Ore development
4. Ore production
5. Vertical transportation of ore
6. Dewatering
7. Loading of ore to bulk carrier
8. Transportation
9. Off-loading of ore in port
10.Extraction of valuable
minerals and metals
(onshore)
11.Transportation of finished
metal to user
Additional aspects:
1. Management
2. Environment
3. Laws
4. Regulations, codes and
standards
The Deep Sea Mining Pilot
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Research group
Working on aspects of the resource and reserve definition
Should we; can we?
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Aravinda Perera
Submerged Motor Drive Systems
Working on aspects of the resource and reserve definition
Should we; can we?
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The potential for SMS deposits
Five basic questions regarding the resource potential (Mohns- and Knipovitch ridges):
1. Where and what represents the permissive areas (‘tracts’) for potential hydrothermal SMS resources?
2. What are the chances that hydrothermal SMS resources exist?
3. If hydrothermal SMS resources exists, how many future accumulations will be found?
4. What is the expected size distribution of future accumulations?
5. What types of metals and what grades will the future accumulations have?
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Play analysis
Play- and deposit scale risk!
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Figures from Rasilainen (2018)
Methodology developed by USGS
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Data
• Multibeam data have been collected by several sources
1: GIN RAS–NPD IPY-project
2: GIN RAS–NPD IPY-project
and AWI
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Investigation
Identified indicative structures in
the bathymetric data
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Method
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Answering the “where”
Juliani and Ellefmo (2018)
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Grade-, tonnage- and density distributions
Is estimated
Used available data, analogues and geological understanding of the ore forming processes
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Conclusions
Answers to the five basic questions:
Juliani and Ellefmo (under review, 2018)
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Cruise activities 2016
Ludvigsen et al (2016, 2017)
Magnetic field intensity measurements 3D model with projected texture
RGB projection of UHI data from AUV
Part of the drill core, basalt
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2 mounds, 150m in diameter
MarMine, 2016
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Conceptual model
to design and
assess the mining
system
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Resources and reserves
Ongoing research and potential
for collaboration (?):
Automated data analysis
for exploration strategy
development and
resource assessment
Thank you for the attention!