Chinese scientists find ‘extremely high-value’ underwater gold mine in Pacific
Chinese scientists have discovered a massive underwater mineral deposit in the western Pacific Ocean containing high concentrations of gold and silver. The discovery was made during an 18-day expedition using deep-submergence technology.
Why it matters
This discovery could significantly impact global precious metal markets and highlights the growing strategic importance of deep-sea mining.
Chinese scientists say they have discovered a massive underwater mineral deposit in the western Pacific that is remarkably rich in gold and silver.
According to a report by state broadcaster CCTV on Friday, the discovery was made during a joint scientific expedition involving several Chinese academic institutions.
The ores within this seabed hydrothermal field – an area where hot, mineral-rich water shoots out from openings on the ocean floor – are exceptionally rich in precious metals. Silver, in particular, reaches more than 1kg (2.2lbs) per tonne of ore at its highest grade, while the average metal content exceeds that of typical terrestrial deposits.
“The [large seabed mining area] has extremely high exploitation value,” said Song Shiji, vice-dean of the Institute for Ocean Engineering at Tsinghua University and one of the lead scientists on the project.
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