40 
(Table 6). This study assumed entry into commercial operation of one 
U.S. mining firm of one million tons annual capacity and two firms 
each of 3 million tons annual recovery for a total of 7 million tons per 
year. The firm with the smaller recovery (Deepsea Ventures) would 
be the only U.S. mining interest recovering manganese. The recovery 
efficiency of the major metals by this firm was projected at 95 percent. 
The recovery efficiency of the other firms was projected somewhat low- 
er at 80 percent. 
TABLE 6. ESTIMATED 1985 RECOVERY OF METALS BY U.S. DEEP-OCEAN MINING ENTERPRISES, 
AND VALUE AT 1973 PRICES 
Item Nickel Copper Cobalt Manganese 
Approximate average content in initially mined ore (per- 
COME) ie a ee tet Coca 2 ORB ee PL et 1.25 1.15 0.25 28 
Deep-sea ventures—1,000,000 tons of ore: 
Recoverable metal (tons) per 100 tons of ore at 95 
percent recovery rate__________________________ iLp 1.1 24 27 
Tons of metal recovered (thousands)_-____________ 12 11 2.4 BK) 
Other operations—6,000,000 tons of ore: 1 
Percent of metal recovered_______________________ 80 80 50 See 
Recoverable metal (tons) per 100 tons of ore_______ 1.00 £92 12 Sic Boyes 
Tons of metal recovered (thousands)______________ 60 55 Ti eee eee ie 
Total tons of metal recovered (thousands)______________ 72 66 9.6 270 
Price per ton (dollars)(1973) 2____.___________________ 3, 050 1, 200 5, 740 660 
Gross value at 1973 prices (millions of dollars)__________ 220 79 55 180 
1 Original data from ‘‘Manganese Nodules (11): Prospects for Deep-sea Mining,’’ Science, Feb. 15, 1974, pp. 644-646. 
2 U.S. Bureau of Mines, Commodity Data Summaries, 1974. 
Source: U.S. Congress. Senate. Committee on Commerce, national ocean policy study. The Economic Value of Ocean 
Pespucese the United States. Committee Print, 93d Cong. 2d sess. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 
,p. 21. 
TIMING OF NODULE OPERATIONS 
The time schedule for entry of companies into commercial nodule 
mining operations will influence the economic impact of metals from 
the deep seabed. As each company enters the commercial phase, the 
total amount of metals extracted will increase. However, at this time 
any definite schedule of events is purely speculative. No commercial- 
scale processing facilities are under construction and full-scale mining 
operations are not likely to begin much in advance of the completion 
of the processing plant. Even if full-scale mining equipment were 
completed, tested, and utilized to stockpile nodules, the world metals 
market would not be affected until the nodules were processed. Due to 
the lag time in design and construction, it does not appear likely that 
full-scale processing will begin before 1979 or 1980. Assuming no major 
delays from technical problems or an international authority, a world 
wide production of 15 million metric tons of dry nodules could be 
reached by 1985.?? * Production from U.S. firms could be expected to 
account for half that total or about 7 million tons (assuming 2 opera- 
tions of 3 million tons each and one operation of 1 million tons). 
22 United Nations. A/CONF.62/65, op. cit., p. 31. 
24U.S. ‘Congress. Senate. Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs. Mineral resources 
of the deep seabed. Hearings before the Subcomittee on Minerals, Materials and Fuels on 
S. 1134. 93d Congress, 1st session. May 17, June 14, 15, 18, and 19, 1973. Washington, 
D.C., U.S. Govt. Print. Off., 1973, 768. p. 201-221. 
