Deep sea mining system - has main surface ship controlling nodule harvesting and mining machines on sea bed

摘要

The deep sea mining apparatus and method is for mining mineral nodules from the ocean floor. It comprises at least one surface ship and a number of nodule harvesting or mining machines supported from the surface ship and resting on the ocean floor for movement along the ocean floor and including nodule gathering devices to gather the mineral nodules as the machine passes over the ocean floor. The nodule harvesting machines include separable, nodule-containing crates which, when full, are lifted to the surface where they are recovered by a surface ship.