Japanese scientists have analyzed large fields of rare metals at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean and noted that they may be sufficient to secure global consumption of some of these minerals over centuries.
The fields discovered in 2013 may contain more than 16 million tonnes of precious metals used in the high-tech industry, such as windmills and smartphones, according to a study published Tuesday in the journal Scientific Reports.
The fields are located in a vast area of 2,500 square kilometers near Minamiturishima Island, about 2,000 km southeast of Tokyo.
These findings are good news for Japan, which currently imports 90% of its basic metal needs for its industries from China, which provides almost universal production of precious metals.
The researchers analyzed samples from the extracted mound at a depth of more than 5,000 meters to derive the amount of minerals that could be exploited.
The research area "has the capacity to supply the world with these metals almost never ends," the study said.
To achieve this result, the researchers applied centrifugal technology to extract more metals and increased the concentration of usable rare metals, thus enhancing the profitability of development projects.
If a future means of using the extraction technology directly under the water, it would "contribute to improving economic efficiency" to exploit these deep ocean fields, they added.
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