XV 
tion has been established in the Department of the Interior. It is 
anticipated that commercial mining of the deep seabed for manganese 
nodules will probably begin by 1980, and that U.S. firms will be 
involved. 
Based on recent information regarding participation by U.S. firms 
and U.S. subsidiaries of foreign interests in international consortia, a 
projection can be made of the benefit to the United States from nodule 
mining operations by 1985. The total tonnage of nodules likely to be 
processed and marketed by U.S. interests by 1985 could amount to 4.6 
million tons. This projection is somewhat lower than previous esti- 
mates. This estimate is based on only those firms which have announced 
plans for commercial operations and does not include members of the 
CLB Group 2 which was formed for exploration and systems develop- 
ment only. The estimate also excludes Howard Hughes’ Summa Cor- 
poration which may or may not be involved in seabed mining opera- 
tions. Even if Summa Corporation were developing deep seabed 
mining technology for sale, there is no certainty it would be purchased 
by U.S. firms. 
Using the estimated nodule recovery of 4.6 million tons and exten- 
sions of U.S. Bureau of Mines projections of annual increases in do- 
mestic demand for the metals contained in nodules, the percent of 
imports and percent of U.S. consumption satisfied by U.S. controlled 
nodule mining operations by 1985 can be estimated (Table 1). Imports 
of manganese ore and ferromanganese would not likely be reduced by 
nodule mining by more than 3 percent (the amount of U.S. consump- 
tion as manganese metal) unless manganese metal from nodules can 
be marketed at a price competitive with ferromanganese. The United 
States could produce 9 to 10 times the projected domestic demand for 
pure manganese metal and reduce imports of nickel nearly 20 percent, 
reduce copper imports by 6.5 percent, and cobalt imports by 70 percent. 
If other U.S. firms enter into commercial-scale nodule mining opera- 
tions by 1985, imports could be reduced still further. 
TABLE 1.—PROJECTED U.S. CONSUMPTION AND PERCENT OF IMPORTS SATISFIED BY NODULE MINING OPERATIONS 
BY 1985 
Estimated 
recovery from 
nodules by Percent 
Projected U.S. firms and Percent of U.S. reductions 
1985 U.S. subsidiaries, consumption in of imports 
consumption 1985 1985 from _‘ through nodule 
Metal (short tons) (short tons) nodules mining by 1985 
Manganese: 
CONS nS eS eee A Ne eee fee Boe 22200200 ORY el Wie Oe oe Tre a eee ae 
Ferromanganese____...-_-___-_-_-_----- STO 7S Oi tire es Bees NN ha Wh Se es 
Rurermetal ss: 28222 Seer te abhi Yea andl 55, 000 518, 000 100.0 Exports 
INIGK Gl Seetageeestr ee ele eaaet ats es Se eS 337, 000 49, 700 15.0 19.0 
CON Dee te ee ene nee etwas 3, 360, 000 41, 400 LEZ 6.5 
Gonalteeese see eee been Saeaceoe te Norse 12, 200 8, 280 68. 0 70.0 
2In this study, CLB Group refers only to the consortium organized by Dr. John L. Mero 
of Ocean Resources Inc. in June 1974. Many members of this group are now participants in 
the consortium recently formed by International Nickel Co. (INCO) which has announced 
intentions to proceed to commercial operations if deemed feasible. Some confusion may arise 
as the INCO consortium has also been referred to as the CLB Group (Oceanography News- 
letter, Apr. 21, 1975). 
