Overview
- Researchers on an 18‑day expedition that left Shenzhen on August 10 identified a very large, high‑temperature seafloor massive sulfide field during multiple deep‑submergence dives and reported the find this week.
- Shipboard preliminary assays released by the team show exceptionally high precious‑metal concentrations, including silver measures above 1 kilogram per tonne in some samples and gold up to about 0.45 troy ounces per US short ton.
- The ore is primarily chalcopyrite, pyrite and sphalerite formed at hydrothermal vents where super‑hot, metal‑rich fluids meet cold seawater, and the vents in this basin were recorded at depths around 2,300–4,920 feet with fluid temperatures over 315°C.
- Chinese state media say the field lies inside China’s exclusive economic zone but the expedition has not disclosed exact coordinates; ship tracking data place the vessel north and east of Taiwan and north of the Philippines.
- Scientists stress that independent verification and follow‑up studies are pending and that deep‑sea mining faces steep technical costs and unresolved environmental risks, so no commercial exploitation has been announced.