Metals, minerals and rare earths discovered on the Norwegian seabed

The Scandinavian country, a major oil and gas exporter, is considering opening its offshore regions to deep-sea mining, which requires parliamentary approval.

“Magnesium, niobium, cobalt and rare-earth metal minerals found on the seabed in the study area are on the European Commission’s list of critical minerals,” the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) said. ), who conducted the study.

The resource estimate, which covers remote areas in the Norwegian Sea and Greenland Sea, showed that 38 million tonnes of copper and 45 million tonnes of zinc were deposited in polymetallic sulphides each year, almost twice the volume mined at world level.

“Expensive and rare minerals like neodymium and dysprosium are extremely important for magnets in wind turbines and electric vehicle motors,” NPD said.

However, this study received backlash from environmental groups. The activists urged Norway to postpone exploration for seafloor minerals until more studies are carried out on the organisms that live on the seafloor and the impact mining has on them.

The International Seabed Authority, a UN-affiliated agency that oversees the deep-sea mining industry, is expected to announce regulations for the nascent sector in July. Many scientists have warned that deep sea mining could have huge and irreversible effects on the sensitive ecosystem.