Next-generation Technology for Ocean Resources Exploration

Zipangu-in-the-Ocean Project

26 June 2016At STAR2017,

Nadi, Fiji

Tetsuro Urabe Program Director, SIP-Zipangu-in-the-Ocean Project

Professor Emeritus, University of Tokyo

-Cross-ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program(SIP)-

Self Introduction• Professor Emeritus, The University of Tokyo

(Economic geology, seafloor resources)

• Former Member, Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS)(2011-2017)

• Program Director, SIP-Zipangu-in-the-Ocean Project, Cabinet Office of Japan

（At UN Headquarter, 2013）

CONTENTS

1. Introduction: SIP Programs of Japan

2. Two major projects in seabed resource development: JOGMEC and SIP Zipangu-in-the-Ocean Project

3. The goal of SIP project is to develop “Integrated Survey System for Concealed SMS Deposits”

4. Latest results of the “Integrated Survey System”

5. Proposal and Conclusions

Note: Results on environmental impact assessment studies of SIP will be given by Dr. Tomo Fukushima and Dr. Hiroshi Koshikawa in this Session 02.

3

（参考）

Select PD for each program.

PDs selected by invitation from among top-class leaders in industry and academy.

Governing Board to provide advice/ assessment.

Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (CSTI)

Governing Board(Executive Members of CSTI)

Program Director (PD) for each program

Promoting committee

●PD (chair)●Related ministries, Experts,Funding (Management) Agencies,Cabinet Office(Secretariat)

System Established forEach Program

Cross-Ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program (SIP)

Related ministries, Funding (Management) Agency,

Research organizations (Universities, Corporations, Research institutes,

etc.)

< Governance structure >

Cabinet Office Support

Outside Experts

Implementation Structure

4

Features of the SIP

CSTI selects projects that answer critical social needs and offer competitiveness to Japanese industry and the economy.

Cross-ministerial Initiatives.

Promote focused, end-to-end research and development.

Innovative CombustionTechnology

MasanoriSUGIYAMA

Toyota Motor Corp.

Next-GenerationPower Electronics

TatsuoOOMORI

Mitsubishi Electric Corp.

Structural Materialsfor

Innovation (SM⁴I)

TeruoKISHI

Univ. of Tokyo, NIMS

Energy Carriers

ShigeruMURAKI

Tokyo Gas Co.,Ltd.

Next-generation Technology for Ocean Resources Exploration

TetsuroURABE

Univ. of Tokyo, JMEC

Infrastructure Maintenance,

Renovation and Management

YozoFUJINO

Yokohama National Univ.

Technologies for Creating Next-Generation Agriculture,

Forestry and Fisheries

NoboruHORI

Hokkaido Univ.

Automated Driving System

SeigoKUZUMAKI

Toyota Motor Corp.

Enhancement of Societal Resiliency

against Natural Disasters

MuneoHORI

Univ. of Tokyo

Cross-Ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program（SIP）

- Program Directors/Affiliation for SIP -

Innovative Design/ Manufacturing Technologies

NaoyaSASAKI

Hitachi, Ltd.

Cyber-Security for Critical Infrastructures

Disasters

AtsuhiroGOTO

Institute of Information Security

5

Next-generation Technology for Ocean Resources Exploration【Objective】 To develop ocean resource exploration industry, build the world’s most advanced

and effective exploration technologies for ocean resources .

【Duration】 Five years

【Budget】 \4.56 Billion （for FY 2017） = 41 million US$ (See SIP Homepage)

Contents:

① Scientific research on genesis of ocean minerals and

resources

② Development of exploration technologies for ocean

resources

③ Ecosystem survey and development of long-term

monitoring technologies

④ Development of “Integrated Ocean Resource Surveying

System” Strategies:

Develop competitive exploration technologies for ocean

minerals and resources through an industry-government-

academia partnership

Transfer technologies and know-how to private sectors to

develop ocean exploration industry for ocean minerals and

resources

Accelerate overseas deployment by establishing global

standard technologies for ocean exploration

Program Director（PD）:

Dr. Tetsuro Urabe

（Univ. of Tokyo, Japan Mining Engineering & Training Center）

Development of ocean exploration industry for ocean minerals and resources

And its overseas deployment

ＪＡＭＳＴＥＣ

NMRI*2 PARI*3 NICT*4 NIES*5AIST*1 Industry

SIP (Cross-Ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program)

*1 Advanced Industrial Science and Technology 2 National Maritime Research Institute 3 Port and Airport Research Institute

4 National Institute of Information and Communications Technology 5 National Institute for Environment Studies

6 Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation

6

Develop Survey Methods for SMS Exploitation, processing, exploration

Mining companies

Ore-dressing companies

Smelting companies

Sub-sea instruments manufacturer

Resource survey companies

Environmental survey companies

Sensor development industries

JAMSTEC

JOGMEC 10-year PlanSIP Zipangu-in-the-Ocean

Collaboration between JOGMEC and SIP Project

• JOGMEC provides;• data obtained by drilling to SIP to foster development of survey tools• results of environmental study to SIP to jointly develop ecosystem models• model field for SIP to foster its Integrated Resource Survey System

• SIP provides;• survey technology to JOGMEC to be used for their exploration• environmental monitoring tools and technologies to JOGMEC• technology transfer to survey industries which may benefit to JOGMEC

9

In year 2017, JOGMEC will launch the world’s first pilot-scale in-situ experiment of mining

and lifting ores from seafloor polymetallic sulfides (SMS) deposit in Okinawa Trough.

It will be the first step toward commercialization of marine mineral resources development.

Development of seafloor polymetallic sulphides (METI/JOGMEC)

Mining and collection

test machine

ROV

(Remote operated vehicle

for monitoring)

Submersible pump

1,600 m

Seafloor Polymetallic

Sulphides

8

SV Hakurei Poseidon #1 Drain barge

Three major mineral resources found on deep-sea floor

9

1. Seafloor Massive Sulfide (SMS) deposits --- Poly-metallic Sulfide deposits or Seafloor hydrothermal deposits

2. Cobalt-rich crust --- Poly-metallic crust deposit or Ferromanganese crust deposit

3. Ferromanganese nodule --- Poly-metallic nodule

‹#›

Plausible sequence of commercial

development

Comparison among three types

(Modified after Petersen et al. 2016, Marine Policy)

Co-rich manganese crusts Seafloor massive sulfides

Geological Setting Top and flanks of old

volcanic seamounts

Oceanic spreading centers,

submarine arc volcanoes

Characteristics asphalt- like crusts on

hard substrate (rocks)

sulfide mounds (φ<300m)

consealed ore lens

Water depth 1000~3000m 1000~4000m

Favorable area

(The Area, EEZ, ECS)

1.7 million km2

(46%, 44%, 10%)

3.2 million km2

(58%, 36%, 6%)

Dimensions Large 2-D deposits Small 3-D deposits

Main metals of interest Cobalt, Nickel,

Manganese, Copper

Copper, Zinc, Lead, Gold,

Silver

Other commodities

Titanium, REEs, Platinum,

Molybdenum, Bismuth,

Phosphorus

Cadmium, Gallium,

Germanium, Indium,

Antimony

Resource estimate 7533 million tonnes in the

Prime Crust Zone

600 million tonnes in the

mid-ocean ridge axes

Grades (Prime Crust Zone) (Occurrence median)

0.5wt% Cu Ni, 0.7wt% Co,

23wt% Mn

3wt% Cu, 9wt% Zn, 2ppm

Au, 100ppm Ag

Footprint of 2 mii tonne 25km2 <0.2km2

2.4wt% Cu Ni, 0.2wt% Co,

28wt% Mn

150km2

Large 2-D deposits

Nickel, Copper, Manganese,

Cobalt

Molybdenum, Lithium,

Titanium

21,100 million tonnes in the

Clarion-Clipperton-Zone

(Clarion-Clipperton)

Manganese nodules

Sedimented abyssal plains,

nodules

3000~6000m

38 million km2

(81%, 14%, 5%)

10

The SMS deposits are high grade but small

Estimated resource for the global Seafloor Massive Sulfide

(SMS) Deposits（Hannington et al, 2011）

– 6 x 108 tons of ore on Seafloor（500 Billion US$）

– They suggested “much more” beneath the seafloor

The key issue is, therefore, to develop the survey methods

for concealed ore-body

Active black smoker

ConcealedOre-body Hot fluid

Caldera

Zipangu-in-the-Ocean Project, SIP

The concealed SMS deposits

have several merits；- No vent communities

- No high-temperature fluid

- Low H2S, metals, and acids

Demerit: stripping-ratio of open-pit

(mud removal before exploitation)13

Exclusive Economic Zone of Japan and Known Sites of Seafloor Massive Sulfide Occurrence

12(Extended Continental Shelf is not shown in the map. Map and EEZ boundaries are after GeoMapApp.)

Site Name Lateral Size & Water depth

Inferred Tonnage Grade

Hakurei Site, Izena Caldera

1300 m x 500 mDepth= 1600m

7.4 million tons(including concealed lower ore body )

Au: 1.5 g/t, Ag: 95.6 g/t, Cu: 0.41%, Zn: 5.75%, Pb: 1.44%,As 0.26%

Noho site,Iheya ridge

~1000 m x 600 mDepth= 1350m

(drilled briefly)Largest mound is 100m φ & 30 mhigh

Au: 3.3 g/t, Ag: 911 g/t, Cu: 0.53%, Zn: 12.03%, Pb: 7.81% (n=6)

Gondou site,off Kume-jima-Is.

1500 m x 300 mDepth= 1400m

(drilled many holes)Largest mound is 300m in dia. & 70 m in height

Au: 1.7 g/t, Ag: 326 g/t, Cu: 13.0%, Zn: 12.3%, Pb: 5.2% (n=6; not based on cores)

13

Large SMSs have been found in Okinawa Trough

Information in this presentation could be found in;

1. METI/JOGMEC (2013) “Final Report of the Development Project on Seafloor Massive Sulfide Deposits (First Stage)” (in Japanese) and related

press releases.

2. METI/JOGMEC press release on May 26, 2016 on the ore reserve for Hakurei site.

3. J. Ishibashi, et al eds. (2015) "Subseafloor Biosphere Linked to Hydrothermal Systems: TAIGA Concept", Springer open access eBook.

次世代海洋資源調査技術－海のジパング計画－ 14

Next-Generation Technology for Ocean Resources Exploration: conceptual cartoon

Budget= 41 Million US$ (2017FY), Duration= 2014-2018 (5 years)

1: Scientific research on the origin of sea-floor resources2: Develop sea-floor resource survey technologies3: Develop ecosystem survey and long-term monitoring technologies

ActionThemes

Broadband Satellite communication Drilling/ piston coring Long-term observatory

& sensor deployment

Multiple-AUV-

borne survey

Deep-tow

survey

AUV-ROV

borne survey

Hovering-AUV-

photo -mosaic

Multi-beam

Echo-sounding

Seafloor

Hydrothermal

deposits

Cobalt-rich

crusts

Concepts of the

“Integrated Survey System for Concealed SMS Deposits”

★

20km

360 million km2

Target Area

Vessel Use multiple AUVs

Deep-tow Instr.

Seafloor Instruments

Hovering AUVs

← 1km → ← 2m →← 5km →

Regional survey

ROV,

Interpretation, analysis, & evaluation

Narrow-downto 10,000 km2

Narrow-downto 100 km2

Narrow-downto 10 km2

Discovery & Delineation ofDeposits

Semi-detailed survey

Detailed survey

The knowledge on the origin of deposits should replace satellite imagery in land-

based survey.

Global Ocean

Step-by-step applications of survey methods /protocols to define the targets.

minute topo-

graphy

Natural

potential

VCS

seis-

mics

Saving the number of drillings is the key of the system. (drilling costs is 100 times more in sub-sea than on land).

17

Summary of Results Obtained on the Concealed SMS in the Izena Caldera

Natural Electric Potential curve

W

All the obtained data are consistent with the existing

data of intensive drillings

E

Same section from JOGMEC HP

100m

sulfidePumice/sed

Alteration zone

0

-10

-20Volt

age(V

)

Natural Electric Potential Map

Drilling locations by ”Chikyu” in 2016.

72.5

46.5

100m

180.0

120.5

80.0

80.54

8孔内が安定せず掘削を途中で中止

35

19

Number in blue: meters below seafloorNumbers in orange: thickness of sulfides

53m

25m

122m

70m

260m

1,630m

Chikyu

Natural Electric Potential Data

Deep-tow seismic reflectionprofile (note reflection of SMS)

18

Electric,

seismic

surveys &

drilling

had done

on same

profile

where

concealed

deposit is

known.

Patent Pending (Dr. Kasaya; JAMSTEC): • Exploration method based on electric

potential（No. 2016－020642）• Effective exploration methods combined

with EP and EM （No. 2016－176889）

Natural Electric Potential Survey Tool for SMS

17

• The Natural Electric Potential Survey method, which is developed in the SIP project is proven to be very effective and handy to identify concealed SMS ore deposits.

• The method was tested in 2016 at the Hakureisite, Izena Caldera, Okinawa Trough.

Instrument installed In deep-tow system

1 km

Semi-detail survey

Izena Caldera,Okinawa Trough

Natural Electric Potential

Results

Deep-tow (ACS) & Vertical-cable (VCS) Seismic

Z-VCS results are overlaid on ACS profile

Sub-seafloorStructuresby VCS

Z-VCS method

℃

W

E

Results

• High-resolution vertical cable seismic survey method was developed and applied to the IzenaCaldera by J-MARES in March 2017

Observed temp. anomaly (Altitude; 20 m)

sulfide mounds area background area

Z-VCS uses

ROV to hang

seismic cable

vertically and

move at the

velocity of ½

knots.

The results may indicate the 3D distribution of the concealed ore body as intersected by series of Chikyu drillings. The area of characteristic reflection pattern (white dotted circle) fits the section of concealed ore (orange).

21

High-resolution

deep-tow

cable seismic

survey method

is good for

aerial survey.

次世代海洋資源調査技術－海のジパング計画－

Multi-AUV Operation in 2016; a key technology

• Multiple AUVs operation by ASV is our key technology.

• These AUVs are used as platform for several different survey sensors to enhance efficiency.

19

Hovering AUV

(Photo mosaic)

Cruising AUV #2

(multi-beam sonar)

Cruising AUV #1

(Sub-Bottom Profiler)

ASV (Autonomous Surface Vehicle)

Support vessel

“Hoverin”Surface Relay

Vehicle

Results

Approx. 500m

Sulfide mounds

mapped by AUV

Start

mining

Goals of the Project for the future • GOAL: We finish technology transfer to survey industries before the end

of the SIP program, so these industries should be ready to receive orders

from JOGMEC, investers, and over-sea clients.

• Government has a plan to start commercial seabed mining after 2022.

Our SIP project will provide survey systems for mining companies to

assure enough ore reserves.

2016 2017 2018 2019 ～

“Integrated

Survey

System”

Technology

development

System

verification

@ Izena

(well-known)

Further sea trial

@Gondou site

(partly-known)

Final sea-

Trial at un-

known site

Exploration within

the EEZ of Japan

Commercial

seabed mining

2022 ~

Survey industries

receive orders oversea

Develop

core technology

Check for

efficiency

& cost

Test & integrate

technologies

Finalize survey

Protocol

Spread the

protocol

Oversea survey

SIP Ends

Harbor construction, oil-gas

industries, environmental

monitoring business 20

Conduct national

survey by industriy

Gradual increase in industrial contribution

Potential Application of “Integrated Survey System for Concealed SMS Deposits” to Western Pacific

21

• We believe that Southwestern Pacific is the best place to

apply this survey method as this area has very high

potential of concealed SMS deposits.

• It is essential to establish international collaboration

between Japan and SPC countries to make this happen.

• For example, Japan conducted extensive reconnaissance

survey for seafloor resources between 1985 and 2005 (21

years) at the request of SOPAC.

• The program should include, if accepted, both resource

assessment and environmental baseline survey to improve

the scientific knowledge of this area.

• It is also envisaged to contribute for the future of this area

through capacity building and inviting investment in future.

Japan-SOPAC Seafloor Resources Survey in the Pacific (1985-2005)

SUMMARY• Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)

and Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC) had conducted extensive seafloor resource survey for 21 years at the request of SOPAC*.

• The survey covered the EEZ of 12 Pacific-SIDS and mapped for 160,000 km2, photographed 1,350 km long seafloor, collected 2,019 rock/ore samples, and drilled 79 holes (124 m).

• The survey was aimed for reconnaissance of the resource potential in this area where data were scarce.

• All the data and samples were gathered and compiled at SOPAC Office, and are still used as the resource data base of the area by ISA.

• The bathymetric data are also used in the submissions for the extension of the continental shelf to CLCS by many coastal States.

(JOGMEC Metal Resources Report,2006.1. )

*SOPAC (Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission) was first established in 1872 as CCOP/SOPAC under UNESCAP. It became an Inter-governmental Organization in 1990 and then became a Department of Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) in 2010.

22

Year States Resources1 1985Cook Islands FeMn Nodule2 1986Cook Islands FeMn Nodule3 1987Kiribati FeMn Nodule4 1988Tuvalu FeMn Nodule5 1989Kiribati FeMn Nodule

61990

Cook IslandsSamoa

FeMn NoduleNodule & Crust

7 1991Kiribati Nodule & Crust8 1992Papua New Guinea Massive Sulfide9 1993Solomon Islands Massive Sulfide

10 1994Vanuatu Massive Sulfide11 1995Tonga Massive Sulfide12 1996Marshall Islands Cobalt-rich Crust13 1997Micronesia Cobalt-rich Crust

141998

Marshall IslandsMicronesia

Cobalt-rich Crust

15 1999Fiji Massive Sulfide16 2000Cook Islands FeMn Nodule17 2001Fiji Massive Sulfide18 2002Marshall Islands Cobalt-rich Crust

192003

KiribatiNiue

Cobalt-rich CrustFeMn Nodule

20 2004Fiji Massive Sulfide21 2005Micronesia Cobalt-rich Crust

CONCLUSIONS

1. SIP “Next-generation Technology for Ocean Resources Exploration” (Zipangu-in-the-Ocean project) established the “Integrated Survey System for Concealed SMS Deposits”

2. The system was verified by drilling at Izena Caldera, Okinawa Trough, where there is inferred ore reserves of 7,400,000 tons of sulfide ores both on and beneath the seafloor.

3. We will again conduct in-situ verification of the survey system in 2017 and 2018, where existing drillings are scarce or absent.

4. These results were quickly transferred to industries which are the major goal of this SIP-Zipangu project.

5. We are looking for the international collaboration with SPC countries in the field of seabed resource survey.

23