How Deep-Sea Mining Works
Deep Sea Minerals Corp. (CSE: SEAS) is advancing a strategic opportunity to secure deep-sea mineral rights through the appropriate regulatory process, aligned with U.S. national security, energy transition, and supply-chain independence priorities.
Step-By-Step Process
Collect
Autonomous or remotely operated vehicles collect polymetallic nodules from the seafloor, using collector vehicles (by robotic arms or dredging systems).
Lift
Collected nodules are aggregated and moved up on a riser system or buoyancy engines to the surface for continuous offshore operations.
Transportation & ProcessÂ
Dewatered nodules are shipped to shore for metals extraction and refining. Processing typically involves initial concentration or smelting to produce intermediate metal alloys or oxides and hydrometallurgical refining to obtain battery-grade nickel, cobalt, and copper products, along with manganese silicate or other byproducts used in industrial applications.
Treatment
Initial: Using standard rotary kiln to calcine the nodules, removing impurities, followed by treatment in an electrical arc furnace to form an alloy. The alloy can then be sulphidised to form a nickel copper cobalt matte. Secondary: a series of chemical leaching operations involving sulfuric acid and ammonia to produce salts, which can then be electrolyzed to copper cathode and nickel sulphate.