Developing Deep Seabed Mineral Resources: Korea's Effort

Jung Keuk Kang

President, Korea Ocean Research and Development Institute (KORDI)
P.O.Box 29, Ansan 425-600, Korea

Abstract
Korea initiated researches for the development of deep seabed mineral resources relatively
recently in late 1980s and has expanded its program to various types of resources in different
geological environments through continuous government support as well as constant effort of
KORDI scientists.
Because of lack of land-based metal resources, Korea depends its metal demands heavily on
overseas. Such a metal supply structure exposed its economy to sporadic external shocks caused
by short metal supplies in the international market, which led us to seek stable supplementary
sources of strategic minerals such as deep seabed minerals.
After a decade of an effort since the Korea's first reconnaissance of deep-seabed survey in the
Clarion-Clipperton area in 1983 by KORDI, Korea finally registered exclusive manganese
nodule exploration area of 150,000㎢ in 1994 under the United Nations convention on the Law
of the Sea as the 7th Pioneer Investor. This registered area was slimed down to 75.000㎢, the
area of higher nodule abundances, in 2002 through 8 years of additional surveys. Currently
KORDI is carrying out various researches for the development of underwater mining-related
technologies and high resolution bottom survey in the contract area.to select priority mining
areas.
Following the manganese nodule program, Korea launched new programs for cobalt-rich crusts
and seafloor massive sulfide deposits from late 1990's. Full-scale crust surveys were conducted
in 1999 in the region of the Margellan Seamounts and Mid-Pacific Mountains located in the
western Pacific. However, this program was temporary suspended in 2005 due to delayed
establishment of related regulations at the International Seabed Authority (ISA). On the other
hand, as seafloor massive sulfides were recently emerged as a new seabed mineral resources to
be developed earliest among all three mineral resources, KORDI launched a full scale seafloor
sulfide survey program in 2002 in the EEZ of island nations in the southwestern Pacific.
Recently, KORDI received a prospecting license from the Tonga government for 19,056 km2
areas in March 2008.
Since KORDI started its first deep seabed survey, it took almost one generation to establish a
systematic system for the deep seabed mineral development. KORDI will put its every effort to
harvest visible outcomes from the Korean deep seabed programs in the nearest future.
Introduction

Since Korea has poor reserve of mineral resources, we have made an effort to secure stable
supply of strategic metals from overseas to maintain its stable economic growth. However, its
heavy reliance of metals on foreign imports has been exposing its economy to sporadic external
shocks. For example, self-sufficiency of metals in Korea gradually decreased from 16.40% in
1983 to 0.27% in 2002 and it is predicted to decrease further down to 0.04% in 2010 (Table 1).
This data indicate that we depend on our demanding metals totally from foreign imports. To
overcome such uncertainties in the future metal supply, the Korean government considered the
exploitation of deep seabed mineral resources as a possible option for long-term stable source of
major strategic metals and decided to build up our own technological ability for the
development of deep seabed mineral resources.
As a consequence of such consideration, the Korean government decided to initiate deep
seabed mineral exploration program in early 1980s. Such efforts finally lead us to become 7th
Pioneer Investor country by registering the exclusive exploration area for manganese nodules to
the United Nations in 1994. Our manganese nodule exploitation will somewhat improve our
foreign reliance of mineral resources, because our metal demand, especially manganese,
nickel, cobalt, and copper that are contained in manganese nodules, is predicted to increase
almost 1.8 times in 2013 comparing to that of 2002 (Table 2).
The registration of mining site for manganese nodules was recognized as a milestone in the
ocean exploitation history of Korea. Driving the nodule project, Korea has equipped with a new
deep sea research vessel and accumulated deep sea survey technology in addition to the
achievement of its goal for securing the mining site. We also evaluate that the nodule project
increased our research capability in marine-related sciences and improved our national status as
one of the advanced countries in marine science.
As a symbol of our ocean development, the manganese nodule program expanded the horizon
of our ocean exploitation. Our interests are now expanded to the seafloor massive sulfides and
cobalt-rich manganese crusts with the accumulated experiences from the manganese nodule
program. The exploitation of deep seabed mineral resources will lead us to the utmost goal of
our national policy of removing uncertainties in our stable supply of mineral resources in the
future.

Korean Deep Seabed Mineral Development Program

Introducing Stage (1982~1991)

The year of 1982 is considered as the starting point of Korea’s deep seabed mineral
development. Adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in 1982 lead
Korean government to mull over the deep seabed mineral development as an option for a new
supplying source of strategic minerals. As a result of such consideration, Korea's first deep
seabed survey was conducted in the Clarion-Clipperton area (C-C area) in 1983 by the Korea
Ocean Research and Development Institute (KORDI). After initial prospecting in 1983, however,
the Korean government deferred any immediate action mainly due to legal-political uncertainties
including the mine site conflicts among the potential pioneer claimants and the ambiguity of the
terms of pioneer activities.
In 1989, KORDI resumed survey program for deep seabed mineral resources and carried out a
3-year joint exploration with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) focusing on the
reconnaissance of cobalt-rich crusts in the Marshall and Micronesian Islands and manganese
nodules in the western part of the C-C area. This joint survey program was funded by the Korean
Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and USGS.

Entering Stage (1992~1994)

As the Korean government finally decided to develop deep seabed minerals in 1991, the
Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) launched a full-scale national program in 1991
for the exploration of manganese nodules. KORDI was designated as a major operating arm for
this program and conducted ocean policy researches relating to the deep seabed mining and the
regional exploration for the manganese nodules in the C-C area. The Korea Institute of Geology,
Mining and Materials (KIGAM) and the Korea Mining Promotion Corporation (KMPC) joined
KORDI to cooperate in this survey program.
With the acquisition of the R/V Onnuri (1,422 tons, Figure 1) in 1992, KORDI strengthened
its capability for surveying the deep seabed resources and related environmental studies more
efficiently with the state-of-the-art deep seabed survey equipment.
At the end of 1993, Korea finally selected 300,000 km2 of commercially prospective deep
seabed mining area based on the result of past six years exploration in the area of more than
1,300,000 km2. The Korean application for registration as a pioneer investor was approved from
the General Committee of the 12th Resumed Session of the Preparatory Commission on 2
August 1994. As a result, Korea secured the exclusive exploration area of 150,000 km2 for the
manganese nodule as the Korean Registered Area (Figure 2a).

Take-off Stage (1995~2002)

In this period, manganese nodule program was mainly focused on the resources potential
assessment to implement the scheduled relinquishment of the Korean Registered Area. During 8
years of detailed regional survey in the Korean Registered Area, Korea successfully conducted 3
steps of relinquishment and finally selected the Korean Contract Area of 75,000 km2 in 2002 for
further detailed exploration (Figure 2b). Manganese nodule reserve in the Korea Contract Area is
estimated 510 million ton which can be mined for 100 years at a yearly production rate of 300
million ton. If we mine 300 million ton per year, the recovered metals are estimated to have a
value of 1.5 billion US$ based on 2002 metal prices.
In 1996, the Korean deep seabed mineral development program was transferred to the
Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (MOMAF), a newly established ministry of the
government. Two separately funded deep seabed mineral development programs, manganese
nodule exploration program (by MOTIE) and mining technology and environmental program
(by MOST), were integrated into single program and controlled by MOMAF. Birth of MOMAF
provided a good opportunity to facilitate mining and processing technology as a part of the deep
seabed mineral development program and to enlarge the other deep seabed mineral resources
programs for cobalt-rich crusts and seafloor massive sulfides. Exploration programs for cobalt-
rich crusts and seafloor massive sulfides were launched in 1999 and 2002, respectively, as a
long-term government R&D program.

Growing Stage (2003~present)

Since Korea determined final allocated area (contract area) in 2002 for manganese nodule,
explorations has been focused to trace out commercially exploitable areas using GIS-based
integrated data evaluation system. Several pilot devices such as lifting pump and nodule
collector (Figure 3) were manufactured and they are scheduled to be tested in shallow sea
condition in 2009. Manganese nodule processing study was also conducted to design new
refining processes.
Cobalt-rich crust survey was mostly conducted in the Magellan Seamount area of western
Pacific until 2004. However this program was temporally suspended in 2005 to put concentrated
effort on the research of seafloor massive sulfides, commercially most exploitable mineral
resources, also due to delay in the enactment of mining code for crusts in the International
Seabed Authority (ISA). We are currently expecting to resume our crust program in 2010.
Seafloor massive sulfide survey was initiated in 1998 as a KORDI R&D program and it
converted to a long-term government R&D program in 2002 as seafloor massive sulfide is
emerging as a new seabed mineral resources to be developed earliest among all three mineral
resources (manganese nodule, cobalt-rich crust, seafloor massive sulfides). Since 2002, seafloor
massive sulfide survey has been conducted in the EEZ of Fiji and Tonga. Recently, KORDI
acquired mineral prospecting license for seafloor massive sulfides in the area of 19,056 km2
from the Tonga government in March 2008 (Figure 4).
We will carry on further survey in our nodule field for deeper understanding of environmental
influences upon a full scale commercial production. Our mining devices will be tested in deep
water conditions and technologies will be polished to fit commercial stage. Mining technologies
for seafloor massive sulfides and crusts will be also developed based on the mining technologies
accumulated in the nodule area. Although we are currently surveying seafloor massive sulfides
in the EEZ of island nations in south Pacific, we will soon begin our seafloor massive sulfide
exploration in open sea area of Indian Ocean. For such new challenges, KORDI is now
designing 4,000 ton class new research vessel.

Epilogue

The deep seated nature of risk in deep seabed exploitation is widely understood. There are
major natural and technological uncertainties associated with our lack of knowledge. However,
we expect that such difficulties will be overcome as technologies and experiences accumulated
from many related programs of research institutes, universities, and companies in the world.
Unfortunately, such efforts in deep seabed resources are put on separately from different
countries and research institutions, which inevitably resulted in overlapped investments to the
same research area in a global view point. Although many countries and institutions have their
own mining areas for manganese nodule, they have not made appreciable progress in the area of
nodule development since the acquisition of mining areas. Lacking of consorted efforts and
sharing of accumulated technologies and experiences might be one of the reasons for this slow
pace progress of nodule development.
It is well known that various cutting edge technologies from various disciplines are required
for the commercial production of deep seabed resources. Considering each country’s interests
and comparative superiority in different areas of technologies, international collaborations
between countries of common interests could bring technological achievement more efficiently
with less cost. The ISA’s role as an organizer of these collaborations might be anticipated.
Since KORDI started its first deep sea survey, it took almost one generation to establish
specific systems to develop deep seabed minerals. KORDI will put its every effort to harvest
visible outcomes from the Korean deep seabed research program in the nearest future.

Table 1. Trend of metal demand in Korea.

Year 1983 1993 1998 2002 2010*

Self-sufficiency of Metals 16.40 2.70 0.77 0.27 0.04
(%)
Amount of Imported Metals 682.6 2,158.8 6,593.8 4,501.7 15,002.4
(million $)
Portion of imported metals
from total amount of import 2.61 2.58 6.08 4.57 8.90
(%)
Table 2. Demand of four strategic metals contained in manganese nodule in Korea.

Year 1988 1992 2002(A) 2010(B) B/A

Nickel 7,402 18,741 94,885 196,855 2.07
Cobalt 429 510 2,604 3,725 1.43
Copper 334,315 341,964 957,714 2,225,638 2.32
Manganese 182,766 213,826 344,234 521,530 1.51

Table 3. Brief history of the Deep Seabed Mineral Development Program in Korea.
Introducing Stage 1982~1991 • Korean government review deep seabed mineral
development for the first time
• Bench-marking of techniques for deep seabed
mineral exploration through international joint
survey program
Entering Stage 1992~1994 • Korean government decide to drive deep seabed
mineral development program
• Construction of R/V Onnuri (1,422 ton)
• Regional survey for manganese nodules in the C-C
area (over 1.3 million km2)
• Secured 150,000 km2 of Korean Registered Area in
the C-C Area as a Pioneer Investor in 1994
Take-off Stage 1995~2002 • Selection of 75,000 km2 of Korean Contract Area in
2002 through 3 steps of relinquishment for 8 years
• Reconnaissance Survey for Co-rich crusts and
seafloor massive sulfides
Growing Stage 2003~present • Study of commercially applicable mining and
processing technology for manganese nodules
• Detailed survey to select commercially minable site
• Regional survey for Co-rich crusts in open ocean area
and seafloor massive sulfides in EEZ of island
nations of South Pacific
• Acquisition of Prospecting License for seafloor
massive sulfides from the government of Tonga in
2008
Future • Developing and improving manganese nodule mining
technology through various steps of sea test of pilot
devices
• Registration of Co-rich crust prospecting area in the
international waters
• Registration of prospecting area for seafloor
massive sulfide in the international waters and EEZ
of island nations in South Pacific.
• Construction of new research vessel (4,000 ton class)
Figure 1. R/V Onnuri (1,422 ton)

(a) (b)
Figure 2. (a) Korean Registered Area (150,000 km ) and (b) Korean Contract Area (75,000 km2)
2

for manganese nodule development in the C-C Area

(a) (b)
Figure 3. (a) 1/20 scale pilot miner and (b) lifting pump.

Figure 4. KORDI’s mineral prospecting license area (19,056 km2)

for seafloor massive sulfide deposits in the EEZ of the
Kingdom of Tonga.