A Mineral Store/wwe
101
and in many cases the necessary equipment for the job just does not
exist.
The truth of the matter is that man has no real incentive to take
minerals from the oceans when alternative supplies are available on
the land. On the other hand where a nation does not have adequate
supplies or where for political reasons its foreign source may be
uncertain, the marine reserves may be seriously considered or at
least investigated more fully, perhaps with a view to future contin—
gency planning. Such a case could be put forward for the manganese
found in the form of potato—sized nodules in all of the world’s
oceans. The United States has no high—grade deposits on the land
and must import over 90 per cent of her manganese. In theory,
American industry could become emancipated from its foreign
suppliers of manganese and other minerals contained in the nodules.
The problem is whether the cost of retrieving the nodules can be
reduced to a level which will enable industries using minerals from
this source to remain competitive. In practice, the nodules nearest
to the American coast appear
to be very low in manganese while
those rich in the mineral lie in much deeper, distant waters. Whether
these more remote sources of manganese could be exploited must
depend on international law as well as technology.
Generally speaking, many of the more important minerals taken
from marine areas represent little more than a continuation of
exploitation that has already started on the land. The recent develop—
ments in the North Sea show this well. On August 14, 1959, the
Slocherren No. 1 well in the Groningen province of the northern
Netherlands reached rocky strata, rich in natural gas. Since then,
this eld has proved to be the largest one in the world, heating even
the Panhandle eld in the United States. Naturally enough, the
major oil companies, spurred on by the Dutch discovery, searched
for further supplies in geologically—related areas. The search took
them northwards into the North Sea. On September 21, 1965, the
drilling rig Sea Gem struck gas, and this discovery was followed
later by other rigs. By early 1967 the rst gas was being piped ashore
from the marine eld to the United Kingdom.
What will happen in marine mining in the immediate future is
anybody’s guess. Where the rewards can be plainly seen, as in the
case of North Sea gas, the millions of pounds ordollars needed to
develop the resource can always be made available but when it comes
to less easily accounted prospects the picture is not nearly so clear.
101
and in many cases the necessary equipment for the job just does not
exist.
The truth of the matter is that man has no real incentive to take
minerals from the oceans when alternative supplies are available on
the land. On the other hand where a nation does not have adequate
supplies or where for political reasons its foreign source may be
uncertain, the marine reserves may be seriously considered or at
least investigated more fully, perhaps with a view to future contin—
gency planning. Such a case could be put forward for the manganese
found in the form of potato—sized nodules in all of the world’s
oceans. The United States has no high—grade deposits on the land
and must import over 90 per cent of her manganese. In theory,
American industry could become emancipated from its foreign
suppliers of manganese and other minerals contained in the nodules.
The problem is whether the cost of retrieving the nodules can be
reduced to a level which will enable industries using minerals from
this source to remain competitive. In practice, the nodules nearest
to the American coast appear
to be very low in manganese while
those rich in the mineral lie in much deeper, distant waters. Whether
these more remote sources of manganese could be exploited must
depend on international law as well as technology.
Generally speaking, many of the more important minerals taken
from marine areas represent little more than a continuation of
exploitation that has already started on the land. The recent develop—
ments in the North Sea show this well. On August 14, 1959, the
Slocherren No. 1 well in the Groningen province of the northern
Netherlands reached rocky strata, rich in natural gas. Since then,
this eld has proved to be the largest one in the world, heating even
the Panhandle eld in the United States. Naturally enough, the
major oil companies, spurred on by the Dutch discovery, searched
for further supplies in geologically—related areas. The search took
them northwards into the North Sea. On September 21, 1965, the
drilling rig Sea Gem struck gas, and this discovery was followed
later by other rigs. By early 1967 the rst gas was being piped ashore
from the marine eld to the United Kingdom.
What will happen in marine mining in the immediate future is
anybody’s guess. Where the rewards can be plainly seen, as in the
case of North Sea gas, the millions of pounds ordollars needed to
develop the resource can always be made available but when it comes
to less easily accounted prospects the picture is not nearly so clear.