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The Next Gold Rush Will Be 5,000 Feet Under the Sea, With Robot Drones (vice.com)

Posted by Soulskill on from the inspired-by-dystopian-scifi dept.

merbs writes: In Papua New Guinea, one well-financed, first-mover company is about to pioneer deep sea mining. And that will mean dispatching a fleet of giant remote-operated robotic miners 5,000 feet below the surface to harvest the riches scattered across ocean floor. These mammoth underwater vehicles look like they've been hauled off the set of a sci-fi film—think Avatar meets The Abyss. And they'll be dredging up copper, gold, and other valuable minerals, far beneath the gaze of human eyes.

4 of 129 comments (clear)

  1. Impressive Monsters by no-body · · Score: 3, Informative

    Indeed:

    http://www.animals-zone.com/7-...

    No concept what hit them, when it does.

  2. Yeah right. by Harlequin80 · · Score: 4, Informative

    This has to compete against mines on land operating with excellent infrastructure and somehow do it for less money.

    I'm sorry but it just isn't going to happen any time soon. Olympic Dam in South Australia has absolutely massive gold, copper and uranium deposits but the economics of that mine couldn't be made to stack up in the current market. There is no way that untested, experimental mining in an incredibly hostile environment stands a chance.

  3. Re:Who cares? by Harlequin80 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Uh-huh. Gold is useful BECAUSE it isn't reactive. It is highly ductile, doesn't corrode quickly and it conducts electricity well.

  4. Re:That will go well by Applehu+Akbar · · Score: 4, Informative

    Hasn't offshore gold dredging been done for years in Alaska? The environmental effects should be well known by now.