FRONTIERS IN OCEANIC RESEARCH 73 



The total scientific and technical competence of the United States 

 can be described in billions of volts, billions of light years, and cer- 

 tainly in billions of dollars. It seems inevitable that we shall focus 

 an increasing fraction of these talents on a third of a billion cubic 

 miles of salt water. 



I have collected several reports and magazine articles which I shall 

 leave with Dr. Sheldon after the meeting. The subjects covered in 

 them are : the tunnel beneath the English Channel, the sulfur mine in 

 the Gulf of Mexico, magnesium and bromine extraction, and the 

 Mohole. 



Thank you very much. 



The Chairman. Doctor, you have a very illuminating and imagina- 

 tive statement which we appreciate very much. 



You referred lastly to sulfur mining in the Gulf of Mexico, but 

 that is not entirely new, is it ? There are sulfur domes in the Gulf 

 of Mexico which have been known for 40 years, and they have done 

 marginal development ; isn't that right ? 



Dr. Lirp. It is my understanding the previous work was done in 

 what you would call swampy areas near the shore. This facility 



The Chairman. Close to land ? 



Dr. Lipp. Yes, sir. The facility to which I refer is located well 

 out to sea, is a $30 million installation and is really going to be an 

 elaborate sea-based operation. 



The Chairman. That is a city they are building out in the sea ? 



Dr. Lipp. Yes, sir. 



The Chairman. It is four or five blocks long there, with stores, 

 housing, and everything in it. Is that what you mean ? 



Dr. Lipp. Yes, sir. 



The Chairman. Now, that is true. 



You refer to the fact that this drilling into the bottom of the sea 

 Avill give us means of improved recovery of oil. 



Actually it will undoubtedly open up new oilfields, too, in the 

 marginal sea, perhaps out in the depths of the sea. Is that right? 



Dr. Lipp. Yes, sir. The oil companies are helping sponsor the 

 Mohole program by furnishing or lending ships and equipment and 

 advice to it, simply on a basis that it will improve their own techniques 

 for developing new oilfields. 



The Chairman. That is a private enterprise, isn't it ? 



Dr. Lipp. I think it will end up by being a mixture of private enter- 

 prise, foundation money, and perhaps even some Government money. 



The Chairman. At the present time though it is largely a private 

 investment — a private enterprise proposition, isn't it ? 



Dr. Lipp. That is correct, I believe. 



The Chairman. With reference to the chemical plants, you referred 

 to the use of sea water and shells from the ocean and the beaches. 

 That is already in existence there ? 



Dr. Lipp. That is true. The Dow Chemical plant has been in 

 existence down on the gulf since World War II. 



The Chairman. They use the seashells there for chemical pur- 

 poses. They use the water too from the gulf for the extraction of 

 chemicals. 



That would fit into your program of distillation of water from the 

 ocean. 



