B.18 What is your view on the dark oxygen paper?

We are well aware of this. In fact, Andrew Sweetman, the lead author of the paper, participates in our scientific roundtables, where we regularly engage with the scientific community and they provide input on our approach. The topic of dark oxygen was heavily amplified a year ago by groups opposed to deep sea mining, based on a single paper. It is potential discoveries like this one that really highlight the regulatory value of the Impossible Metals approach with our Eureka collection system. Our ability to leave undisturbed high proportions of nodules, which maintain all functions of the ecosystem, including dark oxygen, if proven to be true. There are several scientific rebuttals and critiques to the dark oxygen paper: Paper Says Dark Oxygen Production Thermodynamically Impossible Critical Review of the Article: “Evidence of Dark Oxygen Production at the Abyssal Seafloor” by Sweetman et al. in Nat. Geosci. 1–3 (2024) Rebuttal of Sweetman, A.K., Smith, A.J., de Jonge, D.S.W. et al. Evidence of dark oxygen production at the abyssal seafloor. Nat. Geosci. (2024)

FAQs Archive

Q: Myth #15: The China problem for critical metals is exclusively about mineral processing

The “China problem” is that China’s overwhelming dominance in mining, mineral processing, and the manufacturing of critical metals gives it the power to disrupt or control access for the rest of the world, creating dependency risks for the energy transition, AI data centers, and defense. China holds a dominant position in the mineral processing of critical metals; however, an increasing number of countries are restricting the export of ore, requiring that mineral processing occur within their own borders. For example, a ban prohibiting all nickel ore exports took effect in 2014 in Indonesia. As a result, China has stepped up financing and control of foreign mines, resulting in 75% of Indonesia’s nickel refining/smelting capacity as of 2023. China now controls a vast number of mines in Africa and Indonesia, not just the mineral processing.

Q: Myth #14: Dark Oxygen is a reason to oppose deep sea mining

Groups opposed to deep sea mining heavily amplified the topic of dark oxygen based on a single paper. Other studies report conflicting results — for example, Paper Says Dark Oxygen Production Thermodynamically Impossible . For more information, see question B.18 .

Q: Myth #9: There is no regulation of deep sea mining.

While not every jurisdiction has completed their final regulations for full scale commercial mining, deep sea mining has been regulated for decades. No commercial seabed mining has happened yet, precisely because of these regulations, which prohibit deep sea mining without a license. The International Seabed Authority (ISA) adopted the exploration regulations for polymetallic nodules on July 13, 2000. Since then, 31 exploration licenses have been awarded. A draft set of regulations governing commercial extraction has also been under discussion at the ISA since 2011, when Fiji requested the ISA to prepare a work plan for adopting the extraction mining code, with iterative revisions released (e.g., 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2024). The ISA has undoubtedly been delayed by motivated opponents hoping to stop all deep sea mining, but the issues are well understood and the ISA could finish their commercial mining regulations within a year. Other nations, including the Cook Islands, Japan, Mexico, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, and the U.S. , have already completed exploration and/or commercial mining regulations. These regulations allow for mining in domestic Exclusive Economic Zones, generally within 322km (200 miles) of their shoreline. In the case of the U.S., domestic law also permits U.S. companies to apply for mining licenses in international waters; two such licenses were issued several decades ago and remain active.

Q: Myth #12: Impossible Metals AI computer vision will not work.

The AI machine/computer vision is looking for three things. The seabed, nodules, and anything else. We assume anything else is life that we want to avoid disturbing. Hence, we do not need to train the AI, nor do we need to have seen life before encountering it. As there is no light at these depths, we control the illumination with our own lights, which significantly simplifies the computer vision complexity. Some local sediment disturbance will occur when the nodule is picked. The cameras identify the location of the nodule in front of the vehicle. The nodule's location is tracked relative to the robot through precise tracking of the vehicle position. With the nodule out of sight from the camera, because the robot's position is precisely tracked, the nodule's location is understood, enabling the arm to pick it up even without our system seeing it at the same time. With the nodule under the vehicle, the arm picks it, and any disturbed sediment is well behind the camera. Additionally, the vehicle will travel primarily into any existing current. Between the vehicle’s motion and the surrounding currents, any sediment distributed under the vehicle will remain behind it.

Q: Myth #11: Eureka III generates 23,000 times the rate of natural sedimentation.

Some have argued that the natural sedimentation rate of the ocean is only of the order of 1-2 mm/thousand years, to imply that any sediment disturbance in the deep sea is unnatural. However, this is factually inaccurate. This number ignores benthic storms and seismic activity on the seabed floor, which significantly increase the sediment rate. Hence, we will not generate 23,000 times the rate of natural sedimentation. The exact amount of sediment disturbance for each mining project will be confirmed by scientists as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) before permission is granted to start mining. The sedimentation rate will depend on the particular sediment composition in an individual site and the technology used, but it is established that the Eureka Collection System generates a fraction of the sediment disturbance compared to the dredging/riser technology developed by the other DSM companies.

Myth #15: The China problem for critical metals is exclusively about mineral processing

Myth #14: Dark Oxygen is a reason to oppose deep sea mining

Myth #9: There is no regulation of deep sea mining.

Myth #12: Impossible Metals AI computer vision will not work.

Myth #11: Eureka III generates 23,000 times the rate of natural sedimentation.

Impossible Metals

STAY INFORMED

Connect with Us

Policies

STAY INFORMED

Connect with Us

Impossible Metals

Policies