These deposits encompass sulphides as well as manganese crusts and nodules formed in the deeper parts of the oceans.
The sulphides and manganese crusts found on the NCS contain important metals and minerals for such technologies as batteries, PCs and mobile phones.
Great depths
These resources lie overall in great depths, mainly 1 500-6 000 metres down. Those on the NCS are found in waters around 3 000 metres deep.
The Norwegian Offshore Directorate is responsible for mapping the quantities and kinds of seabed minerals located off Norway, and has searched so far between Jan Mayen and Svalbard.
Safety and emergency preparedness
On 1 April 2022, Havtil was delegated the job of regulating safety and emergency preparedness for future recovery of these deposits.
And the Storting (parliament) voted in January 2024 to open the NCS for minerals recovery.
Developing regulations
The process of drawing up requirements for safety and the working environment when recovering seabed minerals will be launched by Havtil in 2024.
“As the specialist agency, we’ll be helping to regulate this activity in a safe and prudent manner,” says Sigve Knudsen, director of legal and regulatory affairs at the authority.
“We must then build on existing knowledge and ensure that the requirements take account of the safety challenges posed by this type of operation.”
He notes the importance of understanding the business, the kind of HSE challenges involved in mineral recovery and how the regulations should be framed.
“If such deposits are to be produced from the NCS, this will be done safely,” he emphasises.