The present invention relates to a system for collecting, lifting, and recovering seabed mineral resources, specifically, a device wherein hydrogen gas is evolved on the seabed, resources are lifted by the buoyancy of the gas to the sea surface, and the hydrogen gas which has become an excess buoyancy source during the lifting and recovering is absorbed into an organic substance including toluene, thereby yielding hydrogenated compounds including cyclomethylhexane to recover the energy required for hydrogen gas production.

The present invention relates to a system for collecting, lifting, and recovering seabed mineral resources, specifically, a device wherein hydrogen gas is evolved on the seabed, resources are lifted by the buoyancy of the gas to the sea surface, and the hydrogen gas which has become an excess buoyancy source during the lifting and recovering is absorbed into an organic substance including toluene, thereby yielding hydrogenated compounds including cyclomethylhexane to recover the energy required for hydrogen gas production.

A system and method of off shore mining for retrieval and extraction of heavy mineral concentrate from placer deposits or other suitable materials. The system comprises a dredge vessel and a barge, coupled in conjunction to the dredge vessel. The dredge vessel having thereon a dredging unit, at least one gravity separator and spiral separators for procurement of total heavy minerals from dredged sediment and debris. The barge is configured to acquire and process the total heavy minerals, wherein the barge has thereon at least one magnetic separator, electro-magnetic separators, and density separators for separation of desired minerals based on their physical properties. The system further comprises at least one discharge conduit for tailing of wastes, leftover after extraction and separation of desired minerals, back into water bodies.

A method for recovering rare-earth mud including steps of: (A) penetrating a mud gathering pipe into a layer containing rare-earth mud under the seafloor, (B) preparing a slurry containing a rare earth by loosening rare-earth mud in the mud gathering pipe, and (C) transferring the slurry through a mud raising pipe. A rare-earth mud recovery system including: a mud gathering pipe configured to penetrate into a layer containing rare-earth mud under a seafloor; a stirring device configured to loosen rare-earth mud in the mud gathering pipe; and a mud raising pipe connected to the mud gathering pipe.

Systems and methods for recovering and concentrating rare earth elements from seabed sediment deposits using seabed excavators and shipboard processing systems.

Systems and methods for recovering and concentrating rare earth elements from seabed sediment deposits using seabed excavators and shipboard processing systems.

An in-situ cultivation system of a deep-sea hydrothermal metallic sulfide deposits includes a hydrothermal metallic sulfide deposit mound body, a well casing, a well head control flow guide device, a fluid mixing control hood; the hydrothermal metallic sulfide deposit mound body includes a confining bed, a hydrothermal fluid enriching bed and mound body bedrock; perforations are formed at casing wall of the well casing; the well head flow control device is provided at top of the well casing; a lower opening is formed at bottom of the fluid mixing control hood and is sleeved on four sides of the top of the well casing; an upper opening is formed at top of the fluid mixing control hood; a plurality of fluid holes are formed at a lateral wall of the fluid mixing control hood; and a sulfide coating is applied to inner wall of the fluid mixing control hood.

An in-situ cultivation system of a deep-sea hydrothermal metallic sulfide deposits includes a hydrothermal metallic sulfide deposit mound body, a well casing, a well head control flow guide device, a fluid mixing control hood; the hydrothermal metallic sulfide deposit mound body includes a confining bed, a hydrothermal fluid enriching bed and mound body bedrock; perforations are formed at casing wall of the well casing; the well head flow control device is provided at top of the well casing; a lower opening is formed at bottom of the fluid mixing control hood and is sleeved on four sides of the top of the well casing; an upper opening is formed at top of the fluid mixing control hood; a plurality of fluid holes are formed at a lateral wall of the fluid mixing control hood; and a sulfide coating is applied to inner wall of the fluid mixing control hood.

A method for deep sea mining includes generating an upward flow of valuable matter in a riser line from the bottom of a body of water to a matter processing platform; processing the matter at the processing platform; generating a return flow in a return pipe of a mixture of seawater and a non-valuable part of the matter from the processing platform towards the bottom of the body of water; and controlling the pressure in the return pipe for avoiding collapse of the return pipe and/or cavitation of the return pipe, in particular for avoiding collapse of or cavitation in an upper part of the return pipe.

A method for deep sea mining includes generating an upward flow of valuable matter in a riser line from the bottom of a body of water to a matter processing platform; processing the matter at the processing platform; generating a return flow in a return pipe of a mixture of seawater and a non-valuable part of the matter from the processing platform towards the bottom of the body of water; and controlling the pressure in the return pipe for avoiding collapse of the return pipe and/or cavitation of the return pipe, in particular for avoiding collapse of or cavitation in an upper part of the return pipe.