This summer, a prototype mining system for manganese nodules which 

 utilizes a unique dredge head will be tested by Deepsea Ventures, Inc. in 

 water depths of 3,000 feet on the Blake Plateau. The same company is 

 currently delineating possible mining sites in the Pacific Ocean as well as 

 operating a mini-pilot plant to evaluate the economics of a chemical process 

 for separating and recovering the manganese, copper, nickel, and cobalt. 

 Indicative of the growing global interest in harvesting manganese nodules is 

 the recent announcement by Japan's Transportation Ministry that a subsidy 

 will be awarded for the construction of manganese mining ships as part of a 

 program to develop new reserves of raw materials for its steelmaking 

 industry. 



The research ship Prospector dredges manganese nodules from depths of 2,500 feet 

 on the Blake Plateau off the U.S. southeast coast. More than 40 tons of nodules were 

 obtained on this cruise for laboratory analysis and pilot plant studies. 



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