Offshore staff
OSLO, Norway — The Norwegian government plans to open parts of the Norwegian Continental Shelf for commercial seabed mineral activity.
Minister of Petroleum and Energy Terje Aasland said, “We need minerals to succeed in the green transition. Currently, the resources are controlled by a few countries, which makes us vulnerable. Seabed minerals can become a source of access to essential metals, and no other country is better positioned to take the lead in managing such resources sustainably and responsibly. “
If exploration proves mineral resources are present as expected on the Norwegian seabed, the government believes extraction of minerals could become an important new industry for the country with job opportunities.
Findings to date suggest that mapping and exploration will have a minimal environmental impact, the government added. However, extraction will only be approved if the rights holder’s recovery plan demonstrates that this can be achieved sustainably and responsibly.
“We will proceed step by step, continue building experience and base our regulatory framework on facts and knowledge,” Aasland said.
Before an area can be opened up for mineral activities, an opening process must be performed, as defined by the Ministry in 2020, and comprising an impact assessment process and a resource assessment.
Under the impact assessment process, the potential effects of seabed mineral activities must be examined, ranging from environmental, economic and social to commercial impacts.
The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has conducted a resource study for the assessment area, which revealed significant expected undiscovered mineral resources on the shelf, some of which may be extractable.
An expedition to the Mohns Ridge region in the Norwegian Sea in 2020 found deposits of sulphides and manganese crusts at the seabed, both important for batteries, wind turbine, mobile phones and PCs.
06.21.2023
