Proyecto MINDeSEA

Información administrativa

Título: Seabed Mineral Deposits in European Seas

Código: 003

Fecha de inicio: 1 de enero de 2023

Fecha de finalización: 31 de diciembre de 2023

Correo electrónico: fj.gonzalez@igme.es

Página Web el Proyecto https://geoeramindesea.wixsite.com/mindesea/

Descripción del proyecto

MINDeSEA is a GeoERA research project. The GeoERA Co-Fund action is a joint contribution of 45 national and regional Geological Survey Organisations from 32 European countries “Establishing the European Geological Surveys Research Area to deliver a Geological Service for Europe (GeoERA)”. This is an ERA-NET action under Horizon 2020. The aim of GeoERA is to fund transnational projects contributing to the best use and management of the subsurface, addressing the following four themes: Geo Energy, Ground Water, Raw Materials and Information Platform.

Objetivos

The project MINDeSEA results of the collaboration between eight GeoERA Partners and four Non-funded Organizations at various points of common interest for exploration and investigation on seafloor mineral deposits. This project addresses an integrative metallogenetic study of principal types of seabed mineral resources (hydrothermal sulfides, ferromanganese crusts, phosphorites, marine placers and polymetallic nodules) in the European Seas.

The MINDeSEA working group has both knowledge of and expertise in such types of mineralisation, providing exploration results, sample repositories and databases to produce innovative contributions. The importance of submarine mineralisation systems is related to the abundance and exploitation-potential of many strategic metals and Critical Raw Materials (CRM), necessary for the modern society development.

The geographical scope of the proposed work programme, with a pan-European ambition, includes all the regional seas around Europe,including Exclusive Economic Zones (EZZ) and Extended Continental Shelfs (ECS), comprising the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea (Fig. 1).

The objectives of this project are the following:

Characterise deposit types.
Characterise the trace element content of the deposit type including CRM.
Identify the principal metallogenic provinces.
Develop harmonised mineral maps and datasets of seabed deposits incorporating GSO datasets, along with mineral-potential and prospectivity maps.
Demonstrate how the cases study results can be used in off-shore mineral exploration.
Analyse present-day exploration and exploitation status in terms of regulation, legislation, environmental impacts, exploitation and future directions.
Demonstrate efficiency of a pan-European research approach to understanding seabed minerals and modes of exploration.

Figure 1

Pan European seas with delimitations of EZZ (yellow line) and ECS (pink line) for each country. EEZ limits based on Fanders Marine Institute (2018). Maritime Boundaries Geodatabase: Maritime Boundaries and Exclusive Economic Zones, version 11. ECS limits based on: http://continentalshelf.org

Actividades

WORK PACKAGE 1

Project Management and Coordination

Lead: IGME-Spain. Contact: Francisco Javier González

The specific aim for this project proposal is to stablish the metallogenic context for different seabed mineral deposits with economic potential in the pan-European setting.

This study will publish marine resource information, cases study and maps; identify areas for responsible resource exploration and extraction; inform management and Marine Spatial Planning.

WORK PACKAGE 2

Communication, Dissemination and Exploitation

Lead: IGME-Spain. Contact: Teresa Medialdea

The principal aim of the Dissemination and Exploitation plan is to inform and engage the wider stakeholder community, in order to maximise its impact.

The plan will provide the guidelines to communicate and disseminate the MINDeSEA outputs in such a way that they best support efficient and sustainable management of the seabed, national and EU policy makers, and responsible and publicly acceptable exploration, exploitation and use of submarine mineral resources and the marine environment by Europe’s Industry.

WORK PACKAGE 3

Seafloor Massive Sulphide Deposits

Lead: NGU-Norway. Contact: Henrik Schiellerup

The principal aim of MINDeSEA WP3 is to update and compile existing data on marine sulphides in European waters, including their contained base, noble and special metals. Compiled and collected data will be interpreted in context with existing genetic models and used to assess the potential for European SMS deposits.

WORK PACKAGE 4

Ferro-manganese crusts, phosphorites and Critical Raw Materials.

Lead: IGME-Spain. Contact: Francisco Javier González

The target for MINDeSEA WP4 is to update and further develop the mapping and metallogenic models of marine ferromanganese crusts, phosphorites and their associated strategic and critical raw materials (CRM) across all European seas.

WORK PACKAGE 5

Marine placer deposits

Lead: HSGME-Greece. Contact: Irene Zananiri

The target of MINDeSEA WP5 is to update and further develop the mapping and metallogenic models of marine placer deposits across all European seas

WORK PACKAGE 6

Polymetallic nodules

Lead: LNEG-Portugal. Contact: Pedro Ferreira

The principal aim of MINDeSEA WP6 is to compile and update existing data on polymetallic nodules in European waters, including their composition and genesis. Compiled and collected data will be interpreted in context with existing genetic models and used to assess the potential for European polymetallic nodules deposits.

WORK PACKAGE 7

Exploration in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Baltic and Black Sea

Lead: IGME-Spain. Contact: Luis Somoza

The target for MINDeSEA WP7 is (i) to create a new dataset on the distribution of the explored areas for submarine mineral resources in Europe; (ii) to propose recommendations for new unexplored areas; and (iii) to recommend pilot areas with high potential of discovering new submarine mineral resource mineral accumulations.

WORK PACKAGE 8

Link to Information Platform

Lead: GSI-Ireland. Contact: Xavier Monteys

The principal aim of MINDeSEA WP8, is designed to act as a broker between all project partners, work package leaders and GeoERA’s Information Platform (GIP). Together we will devise the best approach for harmonising, standardising and openly providing MINDeSEA information and outputs.