Context: 7 poly-metallic nodules, 3 lime mud blocks identified for first offshore mineral auctions.
What are Polymetallic Nodules (PMN)?
- Polymetallic nodules, also called manganese nodules, are rock concretions formed of concentric layers of iron and manganese hydroxides around a core.
- Deep-ocean polymetallic nodules form on or just below the vast, sediment-covered, abyssal plains of the global ocean.
- Abundance: They can occur at any depth, but the highest concentrations have been found between 4,000 and 6,000m.
- Size: Nodules vary in size from tiny particles visible only under a microscope to large pellets more than 20 centimetres across. However most nodules are between 5 and 10 cm in diameter, about the size of potatoes.
- Significance: These nodules primarily consist of precipitated iron oxyhydroxides and manganese oxides, onto which metals such as nickel, cobalt, copper, titanium and rare earth elements sorb.
Note –
International Seabed Authority is an autonomous organization within the United Nations common system, with headquarters located in Kingston, Jamaica. All States parties to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) are members of the Authority, amounting to 168 members, including the European Union. The Authority is one of the three international institutions established by UNCLOS; the other two are the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. Its primary function is to regulate exploration for, and exploitation of deep seabed minerals found in 'the Area', which is defined by the Convention as the seabed and subsoil beyond the limits of national jurisdiction, that is, beyond the outer limits of the continental shelf.
Why is Exploration of PMN Important for India?
- India has been allotted a site of 75,000 sq. km. in the Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB) by the UN International SeaBed Authority (ISA) for the exploitation of polymetallic nodules (PMN).
- Preliminary estimates indicate that 380 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) of Polymetallic Nodules comprising Copper, Nickel, Cobalt and Manganese are available within an allocated area of 75000 sq. km for exploration of PMN in the Central Indian Ocean Basin.
- The estimated value of these metals is about 110 billion US$. The polymetallic sulphides are expected to contain rare earth minerals including gold and silver.
- Just utilising 10% of the PMN reserve available in the area, the country can meet its energy requirements for the next 100 years.
India and PMN
- India is implementing a long-term programme on exploration and utilisation of Polymetallic Nodules through the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
- This includes survey and exploration, environmental studies, technology development in mining and extractive metallurgy, in which significant contributions have been made.
- The Government extends composite licences for determination of mineral resource quantity, exploration and commercial production and off-take through the auctions under the Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act, 2002.
- This will enable India to tap into offshore mineral resources, particularly cobalt and nickel, and will support clean energy and steel manufacturing.
Further, the Budget has also enhanced allocations for the Geological Survey of India (GSI), Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM), and National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET) to bolster exploration, sustainable mining practices, and comprehensive exploration projects.
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