56 
explore for manganese nodules. Preussage, Metallgesellschaft, Salzgit- 
ter and Rheinische Braunkohlenwerke formed Arbeitsgemeinschaft 
Meerestechnischgewinnbare Rohstoffe (AMR) to carry out explora- 
tion cruises in the Pacific under government subsidy. The West Ger- 
man government provided funds to charter Deepsea Venture’s R/V 
Prospector in 1970 and 1971. Since private firms converted a stern 
trawler to the nodule exploration vessel, R/V Valdivia, in 1972, the 
West German Ministry for Education and Science has charted the ship 
for four years to conduct a comprehensive nodule survey. Several 
cruises are planned in the nodule belt southeast of Hawaii. A sister 
ship is being built with government subsidies. The AMR group is also 
being subsidized for a nodule mining feasibility study. 
FRANCE 
The Centre National pour l’Exploitation des Oceans (CNEXO) 
is sponsoring engineering research on a modified version of the CLB 
mining system. CNEXO in association with Sociéte Le Nickel has 
also been engaged in extensive exploration for nodules in the South 
Pacific in the general vicinity of French Polynesia using the Tahiti- 
based research vessel Le Norit.2. The French Atomic Energy Commis- 
sion is conducting research on nodule processing techniques. 
JAPAN 
Government activity in Japan has been extensive in sponsoring nod- 
ule exploration and research and development of mining and metal- 
lurgical processing. The Industrial Science and Technology Agency 
subsidized Sumitomo Shoji and Sumitomo Shipbuilding and Machin- 
ery in 1968 to conduct tests of a small-scale CLB system. The Ministry 
of International Trade and Industry (MITT) has subsidized the Su- 
mitomo group several times since 1970 to carry out research on and to 
develop, automatically detachable buckets for the CLB system. Su- 
mitmo Metal Mining received a subsidy in 1972 to construct a test 
plant and conduct research and development on nodules processing. 
Government participation will increase with the recently proposed 
venture of government and industry. Thirty leading Japanese com- 
panies have formed a Deep Ocean Mining Association (DOMA) to 
advise MITT on the technology for mining and processing manganese 
nodules.* Funds will be allocated by industry and government in 1976 
or 1977. DOMA has a caretaker staff provided by Sumitomo Metal 
Mining. A sophisticated new mining vessel the Hakurei Maru, is ready 
to conduct nodule surveys and DOMA expects to begin commercial 
operations in 1980. 
NEW ZEALAND 
The Department of Scientific and Industrial Research is studying 
the distribution and chemical composition of manganese nodules and 
coatings.* 
2 CNEXO annual report, Paris, 1972. 
* Metals Week, June 11, 1973, p. 2. 
4ECAFEH, op. cit., p. 34 
