Technology will be the enabler for the development of a sustainable and safe new industry within deep sea minerals.
Loke’s technology approach, from exploration, production through offtake is based on the following main criteria:
Patents have been filed on several new enabling technologies.
Loke has introduced a number of differentiating technologies that will reduce the environmental footprint and significantly improve the industrial efficiency and resource definition accuracy
For manganese crust, an AUV based acoustic method will be used for efficient thickness measurement over larger areas. A ROV carried coring and sampling skid will enable a large number of core samples to be taken on a single dive. This will significantly reduce vessel days during the exploration and resource definition phase.
For manganese nodules, vessel and AUV mounted multibeam sonars will be used for overall topography and abundance mapping. The traditional Box Corer will be replaced by a ROV carried Digital Box Coring system. This will enable a more efficient mapping of nodule abundance, reducing the environmental footprint on the seabed and the vessel days. In addition, it will collect geotechnical data of the sediments which the nodules are partly submerged in.
For Seabed Massive Sulfides, exploration technology from oil and gas industry like high resolution 3D seismic, EM, Electric self-potential and open water coil tubing drilling will be used.
Loke has introduced a number of differentiating technologies that will reduce the environmental footprint and significantly improve the industrial efficiency and resource definition accuracy.
For manganese crust, Loke has developed a cutting and collection technology where several smaller free-swimming tools can operate in autonomous formation. Cuttings from the tools are transported to the production vessel via the Vertical Transportation System and the return water is used for flushing and to control the suction force at the cutting tools. All this to minimize plume.
For manganese nodules, Loke is developing a technology where minimum sediment plumes are generated at the collection head, minimum sediments dumped by the collection tool, and no sediment return from the production vessel after de-watering.
