
Mining Hydrothermal Vents on the Ocean Floor - dnetesn
http://nautil.us/blog/we-are-about-to-start-mining-hydrothermal-vents-on-the-ocean-floor
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orthecreedence
This is _really cool_. Our desire for technology has touched so many places on
earth already, and finally we can take it back to our roots -- where life on
earth began -- and destroy those ecosystems as well.

The absolute best part is that there's almost no oversight. No hippie can
afford a sub that takes them to the bottom of the ocean, nor can they chain
themselves to an underwater vent. Finally, resource extraction can happen
without the interference of progress-hating communists and shortsighted
government regulations.

~~~
krasin
Technically speaking, there're affordable underwater cameras:
[http://www.openrov.com/](http://www.openrov.com/)

Granted, out of the box they are corded, don't have an autopilot, and only
rated for 100m dive. These shortcomings could be solved, if there's a demand
for such submarines.

~~~
rgbrenner
That is a toy. Hydrothermal vents are at 2000m - 5000m. Meaning that this:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pisces_V](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pisces_V)
Just barely reaches the shallowest of those vents.

Since pressure increases at 14.5psi per 10m.. your toy can only handle about
145psi. To reach the vents, it would need to handle 2900psi - 7250psi.

Edit: here's an MROV that can reach 3000m to give you an idea of the
difference. It's a Triton XLX 150HP:
[http://www.fertoing.com/uploads/gallery/438/962/d0dec0e81bce...](http://www.fertoing.com/uploads/gallery/438/962/d0dec0e81bce44e3abe647eb14a28226.jpeg)

It's used on an oil platform to monitor drilling operations.

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krasin
Pisces V is a manned submarine that adds a lot of weight and price.

The toy I mentioned is unmanned (=> small) and could be placed in a different
body, while reusing the same electronics and software. Not done, but certainly
doable.

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rgbrenner
I updated my post with a link to an mrov that can reach 3000m

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krasin
Thanks. It's unmanned and contemporary, which is closer to the point.

Still, it's designed for construction works, not just as a camera. From
[http://www.harkand.com/wp-
content/uploads/2015/07/Triton_XLX...](http://www.harkand.com/wp-
content/uploads/2015/07/Triton_XLX_3000m_200hp_complete.pdf)

"The XLX is particularly suited for heavy-duty construction support, where
remote intervention tasks are required such as positioning of subsea
structures, pipeline/umbilical connection, pipeline repair, component change-
out, valve operation, fluid injection, debris removal, plus many more. To
enhance the capability of the XLX, it may be fitted with purpose built tooling
skids weighing up to 3000kg (3 Te.) in air."

If we need just a camera, much smaller body is required.

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rgbrenner
Yes, right. There are no submersibles capable of reaching the vents that are
not large and expensive.

It's not possible to simply take the toy you linked to and put it in a
different body. I assume you want to see under the water -- you need lights. I
assume you want it to move -- you need a better engine, propeller, etc. The
body needs to be significantly larger and stronger if you don't want it to be
crushed like a tin can.

~~~
krasin
>There are no submersibles capable of reaching the vents that are not large
and expensive.

I think we both agree on that.

My point is that they could be made, if the goal is just monitoring. It could
even be passive. No engines, no propeller, just a one-time way to throw the
water out of the body to go up.

At a minimum, it's just a ball with a few video cameras, and a cavity that
will hold the water, when it's going down, and keeps the air when it's going
up. Even light is a nice, not must to have, because we're watching for other
submersibles, which emit their own lights.

I still agree that it's not simple. I have not used this word in my statements
above.

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sandworm101
People have been going on about mining the ocean floor for decades. The entire
industry was arguably born out of a disinformation campaign (see Glomar
Explorer) and has been bouncing in and out of fashion ever since. Every new
player pulls up some rocks, build a few spreadsheets, and starts arguing
commercial viability. Look deeply at those spreadsheets and you will find
assumptions that X Y and Z minerals will spike in value because at current
prices it isn't worth the effort.

Yes, governments are now selling "permits" but how much has been actually
paid? I suspect those buying these permits have yet to fork over any cash. The
acquisition of permits seems just a marketing stunt to draw in new investors.
And the anger by environmentalists is just yet more publicity.

If ocean mining has a future, it isn't in the depths. Valuable substances can
be extracted at the surface.

[http://www.technologyreview.com/news/514751/novel-
material-s...](http://www.technologyreview.com/news/514751/novel-material-
shows-promise-for-extracting-uranium-from-seawater/)

~~~
hugh4
Well, we've been "mining" the ocean floor for decades, for oil. This, of
course, has the advantage of being liquid so it's pretty easy to extract.

For other stuff, I have no idea whether it's economical yet and it probably
isn't (especially since the prices of most commodities are in a slump right
now) but the crossover point has got to come some day, so it's reasonable for
people to be hanging around waiting for it.

~~~
sandworm101
Unless that crossover into viability is preempted by some other technology.
Look at oil. Everyone was screaming about the peek in supply capacity (peek
oil) but that inflection point may have been preempted by a reduction in
demand (fracking, electric cars, solar etc). The viability of mining the
seafloor could similarly be preempted by new tech.

Oceanfloor work has already seen one such preemption: manned operations. Back
in the 60s-90s everyone was talking about sending people down, but that was
preempted by improvements in robotics, especially fiber optics.

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pmx
This just disgusts me deeply. Is there nowhere on earth that is safe from
humanity's greed and disregard for the planet we depend on for our lives. In
some ways I hope we never go intergalactic or even leave our solar system -
perhaps the universe will quarantine us before we can infest the rest of it.

~~~
Bluestrike2
The solar system (and systems beyond it) are the perfect solution to that
concern. Massive asteroid belts, lifeless planets and moons, jovian planets,
and all of the rest of space's vast resources are practically limitless
compared to what we have here inside the gravity well. There's no need to
damage a planet's biosphere for resource extraction or industry when space
offers us so much more once we get out there.

That won't stop a lot of very stupid people from protesting the one solution
that'll actually solve these sorts of environmental problems, but that's going
to happen regardless.

Interestingly enough, a lot of the engineering work for mining hydrothermal
vents might have some interesting cross-applications for asteroid mining once
we're outside of the gravity well.

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detaro
Did the Chinese lose a submarine recently?

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scopecreep
Did the Russians lose another submarine?

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digi_owl
Paging Peter Watts.

