Denne høsten skal Sokkeldirektoratet legge frem en oppdatert vurdering av mineralressursene i norske dyphavsområder. Det nye estimatet vil bygge på store mengder data samlet inn gjennom tokt siden 2022 og kan gi et mer presist bilde av hva som skjuler seg på havbunnen.
Dyphavsmineraler
To norskledede forskningstokt langs Nordøst-Grønlands kontinentalsokkel har gitt den første dokumentasjonen av polymetalliske noduler i Nord-Atlanteren. Funnene tyder på at åpningen av Framstredet for rundt 15 millioner år siden ikke bare endret havsirkulasjonen – den kan også ha utløst omfattende mineraldannelse.
Norge har produsert verdens første kobber fra en norsk dyphavsforekomst og demonstrert en komplett verdikjede for havbunnsmineraler. Likevel er videre utvikling satt på vent i minst fire år – og næringen retter nå blikket mot utlandet.
A controversial study claimed that deep-sea polymetallic nodules generate oxygen without sunlight. At Seabed Minerals 2026, an environmental researcher will challenge the finding, pointing to thermodynamic constraints and experimental artefacts.
For the first time, researchers have produced pure copper metal from Norwegian deep-sea massive sulfides. This historic achievement will be presented at the Seabed Minerals 2026 conference in March.
At Seabed Minerals 2026, Professor Markus Bertau of TU Bergakademie Freiberg will present an economic assessment of new hydrometallurgical processing routes for deep-sea minerals that could enable low-emission, zero-solid-waste metal production.
At Seabed Minerals 2026, Hannah Grant (BGS) will present findings from the SMARTEX project, showing how experimental manganese nodule mining in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone continues to affect sediments — yet many biological communities are re-emerging.
The national Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), an agency within the US Department of Commerce, recently updated regulations regarding seabed mineral exploration and commercial recovery. The…
A Japanese test mission has lifted REE-rich mud from the seabed off Minami-Torishima, showing that such deep-sea deposits can be accessed. The samples will now be analyzed, and further trials are needed before commercial extraction can be considered.
On the one hand, countries with seabed mineral exploration licences must be seen as progressing towards harvesting, but at the same time, their own governments are pushing back against it, creating a complex standoff situation.