Solwara 1

Risky deep sea mining project just got a whole lot riskier!

See original release from the Deep Sea Mining Campaign Affected communities have launched legal proceedings in a bid to obtain key documents that would reveal to them and all Papua New Guineans whether the controversial “Solwara 1” deep sea mining project was approved lawfully.[1] Furthermore, due to deficiencies in the Solwara 1 Environmental Impact Statement, […]

Read More
Robot swarms to map the seafloor

Robot swarms to map the seafloor

JONATHAN AMOS on BBC NEWS | 13 December 2017 “It’s one of those truisms that we know the shape of the surface of Mars and the Moon far better than we know our own planet. The reason for this is Earth’s oceans: they cover 71% of the globe and are impenetrable to the satellite mapping […]

Read More
Guptaleaks

#GuptaLeaks: A tale of two captures – Alexkor, Gupta Inc and ‘WMC’

SCORPIO on AMABHUNGANE CENTRE FOR INVEESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM | 13 Dec 2017 “Alexkor is a small operation that in some ways exists to award and manage contracts. Its shallow ocean concessions (up to 30 meters in depth) are mined by about 60 small-scale marine contractors, who use divers to manhandle large vacuum hoses to suck up […]

Read More
seabed mining ship

Contractor for seabed mining ship defaults on payment

DAVID FOXWELL on OFFSHORE SUPPORT JOURNAL | 13 Dec 2017 “MAC Goliath Pte Ltd, owner of the production support vessel that is being built for seabed mining outfit Nautilus Minerals, said MAC has failed to pay the third instalment due on the contract for the vessel. In a statement, Nautilus Minerals said it had been […]

Read More
Deep Sea Mining Company

Deep Sea Mining Company Sued By Environmentalists

COLIN J MCCRACKEN on MY GOOD PLANET | 12 December 2017 “Deep sea mining has been called the ‘new gold rush‘, as tech companies scramble to access a sea bed rich in minerals required for devices such as laptops and smartphones. It’s not only environmentalists who have been highlighting the dangers of such practices though. Academics […]

Read More
subsea mining vessel challenges at nautilus

Shipyard says subsea mining vessel buyer misses payment

MARINELOG | 12 December 2017 “A sub sea mining support vessel project has run into a problem. Vancouver, BC, headquartered Nautilus Minerals Inc., which plans to time charter the vessel for five years on its delivery, says it has been notified by China’s Fujian Mawei Shipbuilding that MAC Goliath Pte Ltd, the buyer of the […]

Read More
Unctad

Crucial for commodity countries to build economic resilience – Unctad

MARTIN CREAMER on MINING WEEKLY | 11 December 2017 “Without policy change, commodity-dependent developing countries risk falling short of achieving their sustainable development goals (SDGs) by 2030, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad) economic affairs officer Stefan Csordas warned on Monday. Unctad and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations have […]

Read More
shipyard notifies Nautilus

Shipyard notifies Nautilus of default by major contractor

Download Nautilus Minerals press release Toronto Ontario, December 11, 2017 – Nautilus Minerals Inc. (TSX:NUS, OTC:NUSMF Nasdaq Intl Designation) (the “Company” or “Nautilus”) announces that Fujian Mawei Shipbuilding Ltd (the “Shipyard”), the owner of the shipyard where Nautilus’ Production Support Vessel (the “PSV”) is being built, has notified the Company that MAC Goliath Pte Ltd […]

Read More
Papua New Guinea deep sea mine

Troubled Papua New Guinea deep-sea mine faces environmental challenge

HELEN DAVIDSON and BEN DOHERTY on THE GUARDIAN | 11 Dec 2017 “A controversial experimental deep-sea mine is being challenged in court by environmental groups who have accused the Papua New Guinea government of withholding key documents about its approval. Nautilus Minerals Inc, a Canada-based company primarily owned by Russian and Omani mining firms, wants […]

Read More
Top of the Rocks

Mining Journal’s Top of the rocks

DANIEL GLEESON on MINING JOURNAL | 11 December 2017 “It is policies, currencies and commodity prices that have the greatest bearing on bottom lines. That is why a few years back, Mining Journal hatched a plan to chart those people that have a daily influence on mining’s fortunes. The 2017 list is similar to last […]

Read More