Stan rozpoznania oceanicznych zasobów mineralnych

Abstract

The state of knowledge concerning on oceanic mineral resources.A b s t r a c t. For the past 50 years, Poland has been actively involved in the research on marine mineral resources. Since 1987, research cruises and documentation of the polymetallic concretions (Fe-Mn) in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone on the Pacific seabed have been performed as part of the Interoceanmetal project. In 2016, the IOM presenteda report to the ISA on the past research and new technologies for processing concretions, together with an economic analysis regarding the process of development of concretion deposits. In 2018, ISA granted Poland the right to search for polymetallic sulphides in the Atlantic Ocean. At the same time, a government project called PRoGEo was launched to encourage the reconnaissance search for marine minerals. This opens a new chapter in the history of Polish participation in the search for marine mineral deposits. Poland is an active participant in international organization, created based on the Convention on the Law of the Sea. Initially, Polish involvement was limited to legal matters, and then extended to geology of the sea and marine mineral deposits. A more active role of Poland in marine exploration during the last years requests to familiar Polish geologists with the current stage of knowledge about marine resources. The current state of knowledge of marine mineral deposits, though still requiring further research, is sufficient to plan their development in the near future. This paper argues that the deposits of polymetallic sulphides, Co-rich crust, gas hydrates and polymetallic concretions will likely be developed first.