Seafloor Primary Ore Dressing System for Economic Sulfide Mining

Because of the higher Au, Ag, and Cu contents, seafloor massive sulfides (SMS) have received much attention as immediate commercial mining targets by private companies and nations. One of them is scheduled to start the commercial mining program in the end of 2013 and the expected profitability is presented. However, the geophysical and social conditions are quite different from Japan's ones. The material flow selected for the mining program, for example, has no economy under Japan's social condition. One of the key technologies necessary for improving the economy in Japan, a primary ore dressing of excavated SMS ores on the seafloor, is introduced in this issue.