Preliminary Economic Examination of Seafloor Massive Mining Venture Under Japan’s Conditions

In Papua New Guinea (PNG), a seafloor massive sulfide (SMS) mining venture has been proposed to start in 2013 and the expected high profitability was presented. However, the geophysical and social conditions are quite different from Japan’s ones. The technologies and model used for the PNG mining are difficult to apply under Japan’s conditions. The economy of SMS mining has no reality in Japan, because the tailing waste disposal is very expensive. Based on a preliminary economic evaluation of seafloor massive sulfide mining venture under Japan’s conditions, some modifications in the mining system and material flow are proposed for the improvement of the economy.