KEGS/BCGS Roundup Breakfast – TUESDAY, JANUARY 28th 2014
Location: White Spot Restaurant, 1616 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, B.C.
Time: 7:30am
Speaker: Peter Kowalczk, P.Geo, CEO & Director , Ocean Floor Geophysics Inc.
Topic: Non-military geophysics, ships and subsea vehicles and the search for minerals in the deep ocean
Registration: Required in advance by January 22nd 2014. Online at My KEGS or via the registration form (link below) and emailed to: mickiallen@marac.com
Abstract:
Exploration for Submarine Massive Sulfide (SMS) deposits has evolved into a regular process of regional ship-borne work followed by more localized mapping and resource evaluation campaigns using autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) over favourable areas. There is an established body of operating skills that is now moving from specialized niches in the military, salvage and academic environment into routine application on commercial mineral exploration cruises. Exploration no longer depends upon the opportunistic mapping of deposits found during research cruises but is instead a systematic and cost effective process using a package of established best practices. Robotic geophysical systems are central to the exploration process at all stages.
The challenge going forward is to rapidly assess the tonnage potential and grade of a deposit A number of trial mining systems have been built and are presently being tested.
Ongoing work by national organizations and by private venture mining companies has a relatively low profile, but is ongoing and moving steadily towards the development of operating mines.