Study on Pipe Wear Evaluation Based on Large Scale Experiment for Deep Sea Mining

Abstract

Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC) has been conducting R&D of production system for Seafloor Massive Sulfides (SMS) mining. In order to reach commercialization stage in SMS development, the pipe wear due to slurry flow is one of many technical issues to be solved. In the present paper, the authors conducted the large scale experiment using full scale pipes to obtain the various data on pipe wear, and investigated the pipe wear amount in commercial operation. In the experiment, SUS 304 and UHPE were used for the inner materials of test pieces. In addition, the test pieces were installed in the vertical, horizontal and inclined section. Then the authors estimated the thickness reduction of pipe due to slurry flow based on the experimental results.

Deep Seabed Mining: A Note on Some Potentials and Risks to the Sustainable Mineral Extraction from the Oceans

“…Developing and implementing monitoring and mitigation measures is significant to reducing the harmful effect of DSM on the marine ecosystem and human health [26,71]. Effective measures include designating "set-aside areas" or refuges, artificial eutrophication, deploying artificial substrates for enhancing faunal survival, frequent monitoring of mining activities, and optimizing the construction of mining machines to lessen plume size on the seabed, toxicity of return plumes, and sediment compression [61,72]. These measures can help to avoid or minimize harming the ecosystem while restoring and maintaining its resilience [73].…”